Stop Right There: Setting Boundaries with Clients
Pushing back on client demands is sometimes the right call
“No” is a hard word for freelancers and creatives to say. We’re all looking to protect our revenue, grow our businesses, and secure our future. Surely saying “No” to potential work or client requests is foolhardy?
I don’t think so. I believe that if you know your strengths, and, importantly, your weaknesses, then “No” is sometimes the perfect response.
Issuing a refusal can be tough. But, think of it as protecting your future time. You’re avoiding the trap of overextending, or getting hired for less than you’re worth. That frees up your time and energy to pursue opportunities that will build your business and pay you more.
Let’s break it down.
Why “No, I can’t do that” is sometimes the right response
Time is a finite resource. We can’t make more than 24 hours in a day, or seven days in a week. So, how you choose to spend your working time is incredibly important. As creative people and freelancers, we have an obligation to ourselves to protect that time:
It’s important for freelancers to understand their strengths, weaknesses, and boundaries — and sometimes that means saying “no” to work or clients.
Valuing your time is often vital, so if someone wants you to work for a rate that’s too low, you can push back, so you don’t devalue your expertise.
When proposed work is outside your comfort zone, you might want to turn it down, rather than risk doing a substandard job and causing issues with the client.
Be careful about “scope creep” — if a client is requesting that you do something that you haven’t agreed to, let them know that there will be an additional charge if it takes you more time or effort.
If you do say no, consider offering an alternative solution — whether that’s an increase in price to account for extra work, a change to your services, or a suggestion of how else the client can get what they need.
Saying “no” gets easier as your confidence and experience grow as a freelancer.
Remember that saying “no” now means you can say “yes” in future, for clients or work that’s a better fit for your skills and experience.
This approach can help you save time so that you don’t have an “opportunity cost.”
You’ll feel better when you know where your boundaries are
I’m not here to convince you that saying “No” is always the best thing to do. But asserting your expertise and valuing your time can mean you become more resilient and position yourself for more success.
Understanding what you will and won’t do opens up further opportunities:
You will know what you’re good at and where you have gaps — this can increase your confidence in completing high-quality work for your clients.
You’ll have a clearer understanding of the rates that you will — and won’t — work for, so you can value your time and spend it on better-paying projects.
Clients are more likely to respect your honesty about your skills and experience, and understand if a particular piece of work falls outside your expertise.
Pushing back on work will help you avoid getting into difficult situations where you’re out of your depth.
You won’t waste your time on low-value, poorly paid work, and that frees up your attention to search for more fulfilling, higher-priced projects.
How to set clear freelance boundaries
Let’s explore how you can start pushing back. This approach is something that works for me. I encourage you to experiment and find the right way for you. Take this and tweak or reinvent it to your own communication style.
Review what you do as a freelancer or creative professional. Establish where your strengths are and note these down.
Understand where there are gaps in your experience and expertise. Decide if those are gaps that you want to close.
Establish the rates that you’re willing to work for. You can base your prices on your financial commitments, skills, experience, market rates, business expenses, taxes, and other factors.
The combination of your strengths, the gaps in your expertise, and the rates and value of your time help you to establish the boundaries that you set.
If a client asks you to take on work that’s outside your skills, that doesn’t pay you your desired rates, or that might not otherwise be a good fit, consider carefully if you really want to do the work.
In these cases, it’s probably a good idea to turn down the work. Be straightforward with your client about why you’re not taking on the project.
Be polite and respectful when you say no, and offer alternative solutions if you think it’s worthwhile.
As your skills and confidence grow, periodically re-examine and re-establish your boundaries.
Use these new boundaries as guidelines for the work you’re prepared to do.
Frequently asked questions
This can be an uncomfortable topic for some. Here’s some advice on how to answer questions you might have on the wisdom of this approach.
How do I understand what my freelance strengths and weaknesses are?
Sometimes, the strengths and gaps in your knowledge and expertise will be obvious. A logo designer probably wouldn’t be a great illustrator, and a developer probably isn’t cut out to be an expert at UI design. In other cases, learning your strengths and weaknesses comes from experience.
As you complete freelance and creative projects, review what went well, what you could do better, and what went horribly! Use these experiences as part of your “lessons learned” and build those findings into your understanding of your work approach, processes, and knowledge.
What if I really need money now, how can I afford to turn down creative work?
Sometimes it’s not easy to turn down work, especially if you’re counting on that money to pay the bills. The issue is that you’re devaluing your time by taking on low-paying work. This can be damaging to your self-confidence, especially if you’re trying to establish yourself and grow as a creative professional.
It also limits your ability to look for better-paying work and clients, because you’ll be spending time you could use on marketing on doing low-paying work instead. That’s known as an “opportunity cost.”
So, if you do need to take on low-paying work now, have an eye to the future, and put aside whatever money you can so that you have some savings and don’t need to say yes to everything that comes your way. Your clients will never value your time more than you do, so you need to set those boundaries and standards.
How do I push back on clients and say no?
The approach and methods that you use to communicate with your clients will depend on your relationship with them. I use the following guidelines if I turn down projects:
Be polite and respectful and always treat clients and professionally. You never know if they might use you in future, when they will offer higher rates or have a project better suited to your skills.
Be upfront and honest about why you can’t do the work. Explain that it’s outside your expertise, or that the rate the client is offering is too low.
If you have alternative solutions for the client, then mention them. This might be negotiating your rate upwards, suggesting an alternative approach, or even recommending a different freelancer.
Be proactive about communicating, and do so as soon as is reasonable. Document everything, and follow up if required.
Will my work boundaries change over time?
Almost certainly. Your skills will grow and your experience will deepen. You’ll establish new niches and expertise, and develop services in line with your advancing knowledge. Your rates will increase as you gain a better understanding of the marketplace.
As your client roster grows, you’ll be more confident about turning down work, as you’ll still have a level of reliable income each month. This is why it’s so important to review and adjust your boundaries over time, so that you continue to value what you can deliver.
Give it a try. Understand your value. Don’t be afraid to set those boundaries, and push back on clients who may not be a great fit.