Setting Work Boundaries as a Freelancer
Job revisions are normal part of your freelance life as you cannot always please your clients all the time – unless you can read minds or predict the future like Nostradamus. Getting a perfect result on your first try is a one in a million shot. But when requests to do more work becomes too often, where do you simply draw the line?
If you are a multi-skilled freelancer, that’s great news for you! You are a cut above the rest. Your clients fully know what you are capable of and they probably see great potentials. The only issue is getting asked to do something you can, but that which is out of your job title. Should you do it?
What’s Your Job and What’s Not?
Know that it is always your call to do extra work. Unless you’re doing it for a charitable cause, you must get paid for a drop of sweat. By setting limits, you put more quality time into what matters most in your life. You can do this by:
1. Defining Your Job Scope
Before starting any freelance project, ask your clients on what responsibilities and tasks they expect you to do. You can also research on what your job title is all about and clarify things that your clients have not discussed.
2. Drafting Policies
You can’t simply revise for the nth time. That’s insane! There must be a limit on how revisions are made. If the scope of revision is large, you may add on an extra fee for your work hours. Don’t work yourself to death just to please your client.
3. Putting It in Fine Print
To avoid future disputes, you may want to put everything in writing. This will help clear up any future misunderstandings as well, giving you and your client a smooth work relationship.
4. Charge a Little Bit More
If your client want to use the Jack or Jane-of-all-trades in you, charge more and justify why you have to do so. Set your rates right and make it competitive with today’s market rate. Why should the client hire you and not two separate persons to do two tasks instead?
When Going an Extra Mile Takes on a Wrong Turn
Sometimes, going the extra mile for your client helps a lot, especially when you are building customer loyalty and trust. Yet, there are other times when you have to set your limits. One day, you will meet a client who’ll try to squeeze your creative juices dry just to maximize your worth. For example, if your job is to create a stunning website design for your client, it is not your job to drive traffic to the site just because people are wowed by your design. That’s the job of an online marketer.
Setting Limits: A Win-Win Deal
By defining your job scope, both parties can avoid major frustrations in the future. A clear feedback can be given to the service provider and clients know exactly what they are paying for. At the end of the day, milestones are met ( a sigh of relief! ).
Have you encountered this situation before? Is setting boundaries beneficial? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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