When you first start freelancing, your instinct will be to take every job you get offered. It won’t be long, though, before you realise that there is a flaw in that tactic. The most valuable resource that a freelancer has is their own time. There are some types of work that will eat up your time for little or no reward.
It can be a difficult decision to turn down work when you don’t have a lot of other work. What you must remember, though, is that a high-paying job could come in tomorrow. So, being strict about what type of work you will accept will increase your income in the long-term. Here are ten situations when it would be wise to turn down a freelance job.
- The Client Wants a Free Sample
If a customer asks you for a free sample of your work, it is best to decline their request. If the work isn’t too time-consuming, you might want to consider offering a discount for some sample work. But you should never do any work for free. Whether it is for a sample or not, your work has value. Your client will gain from the work that you do, so it is only fair that the client should pay for your work.
- The Customer Has a Bad Repatriation
It is wise to check the reputation of a buyer before you accept offers of work. If you are using a freelancer or gig-work platform this is easy to do. Read the comments that other sellers have left about the buyer. If you see a lot of negative comments, steer clear of that buyer. Some people are difficult to work with, and it is those people who often take up an inordinate amount of your time.
- The Client Who Wants You to Jump Through Hoops
Every customer has the right to ask questions about your service. There are limits, though, on how much effort you should put into selling to a single customer. Buyers might have one or two questions about your service. They might want to see some examples of your work or see some references.
If you answer a buyer’s questions, though, and then they keep on coming back with more questions, that is a red flag. The buyer’s next message to you is likely to be the message that asks for a big discount. A customer that is difficult pre-sale, is likely to be difficult to work with post-sale as well.
- Work That Goes Against Your Own Principals
You may get asked to work on projects that are not ethical or legal. You may get asked to do work that conflicts with your beliefs. Of course, whether you take such work is up to your own conscience. But, if you do complete work that goes against your principals, you might regret doing so later.
- The Customer Who Demands Too Much
Be wary of the customer who wants too many guarantees or asks for too much. You may never be able to please a person like this. You need to manage a customer’s expectations from the outset. Make it clear what clients are going to get for their money. If a customer wants more than your standard service, they should pay more. If they don’t want to pay more for the extra work, it’s time to say no thanks to that client.
- Offers of High Volumes of Work in Return for a Discount
Remember that your best measure of profitability is your hourly income. If a customer offers you regular work at a lower price, it can be tempting. Regular work will give you a steady income. If you add up the revenue from a lot of regular work, the total revenue might look attractive. Taking on a lot of low-paid work, though, will bring down your average hourly income. If you spend too much time on low-paid work, you won’t have the time to take on higher-paid work when it becomes available.
- Working for a Share of the Profits
Depending on the type of service that you provide, you may get asked to do work on a profit share basis. A software developer, for example, might get offered a share of the income from an app that they develop. This type of deal might appear to be attractive at first glance. But a profit share offers no guarantee of income. If someone is working on a serious start-up project, they will have the finance to pay for the work they need. Serious entrepreneurs won’t be wasting their time trying to get work done for free.
- The Offer Is Well Below Your Standard Price
Even if you have time on your hands, don’t accept offers that are well below your standard price. You might think that a quick ten bucks would come in useful. Even so, it is often the people who offer the lowest prices who take up the most time. You would be better using your time to do some marketing than wasting your time doing very cheap work.
- Customers Who Ask You to Cheat the System
If you sell your services on an online freelance platform, you must abide by the platform’s terms of service (TOS). One of the terms is likely to be that you cannot deal directly with clients. If a buyer asks you to contact them directly, don’t do it. It’s not worth getting banned from a platform to save one client a few bucks.
- Your Instinct Tells You That Something Is Wrong
When you have been freelancing for a while, you will get a feel for customers. Sometimes, you will have a gut feeling that something is not right about a buyer. If your instinct is telling you to turn down some freelance work, follow your instinct. It is better to turn down a few jobs than it is to end up with a nightmare client.
Final Thoughts
Turning away work can seem counterintuitive. But, as a freelancer, you must be careful about the work that you take on. Whilst most buyers that you come across will be honest and easy to work with, some of them will not. Your time is your most precious commodity, so use it well. Watch out for the above red flags, and don’t be afraid to say thanks, but no thanks, to some of the offers of freelance work you receive.
