Brittany

So you landed a client, you get your contract signed, and you are in the throws of working away on the project. Your days are filled with awesome design inspo and sometimes when you are working you might look a little like this…

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What happens when you have that client that you like working with and they begin asking for things that are not quite in the scope of a project? You don’t want to lose their business by saying no, but you also just can’t “change that page layout a little bit” one more time. Let us just encourage you…

“You’re not going to lose clients over treating yourself fairly.”

– Weeknight Website

Navigating the waters of a good client relationship is all about honesty, we talked about it in our blog on rocking client communication for an awesome project experience. (hint hint 😉) You also need to make sure you have good boundaries in place so that clients know exactly what to expect from you! This will lead to happy clients lots of referrals, great long-standing client relationships, and most importantly, a happy YOU!

What to do About Scope Creep with Your Client Projects

This how to avoid feeling #awkward about addressing scope creep with your clients and never feeling taken advantage of when it comes to the “little” changes.

#1 Make sure you have a defined project contract

This is the thing no one ever wants to hear, however, this one change alone helped me scale from a website design agency making $600 – $700 a project to landing $3k+ projects in less than 1 year, and that was just starting out!

When you have a contract, you look sups profesh. Clients realize that you have put thought and time into anything you proposal and they have an automatic trust meter that goes “ding ding” when you say “sure, client I am excited to work wwith, let me send over a contract and formalized proposal for your approval.”

This also tells them that you have boundaries right away, which means that they have to treat you with respect and that your boundaries are there to protect you both.

Our favorite spot for a template contract for designers is AIGA the professional association for design.

#2 Don’t Let it Stress You Out

Making sure you are clear about your boundaries is NOT just for your client, it is for you as well! Mental health and managing your stress levels is really important when you are a designer or content creator. The thing to know is that even with the BEST client in the world, this can easily happen to your project.

By allowing a project to become bigger than the scope laid out can leave you struggling to say inspired and on task. This can become especially overwhelming when the project drags on for weeks past the due date and you can not take on new work, but you are also not getting paid for all. the extra hours. #thestruggleisreal

Make sure you clearly articulate in writing what is included in your project and what is an additional fee. and if you do say yes to additional work on a project…

#3 Remember the Money is in the Invoicing

It can feel intimidating to send an additional invoice when a project goes out of scope. I have literally lost thousands of dollars this way in the past, so take it from me, do not do this to yourself!

The best way to avoid awkwardness is to make sure you have additional requests from the client in writing. Send them a quote for the additional work, and then send the invoice as soon as you complete the additional work. This is outside the project you are working on and should be invoiced and paid right after the work is complete, just like any other smaller job requests would be.

If the client pushes back, you can always refer them to the contract that you (obvi) set up because you are a well-protected boss lady, running a super successful biz!

Want more? Watch the Facebook Live about avoiding scope creep!

When you are beginning freelance work, some of the worst mistakes can come from the learning curve. You are all the sudden responsible for managing AND doing all the work. It can feel overwhelming and frustrating trying to nail down what works for you as a business owner and a creator. One of the best lessons I have ever learned was that energy, while it is a renewable resource, does have a finite end. 

Expending your energy in a way that doesn’t leave you completely uninspired, is really important if you want to be ‘in it to win it’. You have to know where the boundaries are and stick to them for your own health and wellness. The last thing you want is to look at your phone and see this…

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Since we are all about empowering freelance website designers and content creators, we thought we would share some of our best tips for setting client boundaries that make everyone involved feel like they are #winning 

Know thyself 

Before you can set really awesome boundaries, you have to know what they are going to be. I find that oftentimes we can answer some fairly simple questions and avoid getting frustrated if we just take a moment to think about what our process really is! 

Kristen, our resident design expert,  has a saying that i love… 1,2,3 work with me. The premise is that you have to define your process to make it easier for people to say yes to you. A confused mind always says “no”, soif you want a yes, you have to clarify the process boo! 

I get it, if you are new you might be thinking “I don’t have a process or boundaries, I just need to make some money dude.” 

I fully feel that pain! I have been there, but I have to say it wasn’t until my process was clearly defined and my systems and organization was in place that my website design and marketing business really started to flourish. 

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Here is a list of questions to answer for your business. The answers will help you set boundaries that feel healthy and maintainable. 

1. What days do you work each week? 
2. What holidays are you off? 
3. How do you prefer to get communications from clients? 
4. Do you reply to them if they are late on payments? 
5. Do you have specific working hours? 
6. If you are out for an emergency or out sick what is the process 
7. Do you only check incoming communications (email, slack, skype, text, etc….) certain times of the day? 
8. Do you have weekly meetings or touch points they should use for communication?

Let clients know your boundaries clearly

Now that you have decided what your process and boundaries look like, you need to go ahead and fill in the rest of the world, because we aren’t mind readers, peeps! Make sure the process is clearly understood on the client’s end and send it to them in writing before your project starts so they are aware of it and you have something to reference later. 

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When I  was first starting out I felt like boundaries would make me unattractive to clients, NOT TRUE! Boundaries are sexy, and they keep a little air of mystery about the relationship that helps the client keep an appreciation for you and what you do. Enforcing your boundaries will not make clients shy away from working with you, it will give them confidence in you as a service provider. Remember this is not emotional, it’s good business. 

Contracts are your friend

If you are not sending contracts, let us just encourage you, ALWAYS send a contract. Dont make the noob mistake I did when I was starting out by avoiding contracts because they felt too stiff. It is your insurance policy. As awkward as it might feel to send, it will be way more awkward if you get stiffed over $3k on your first job as a freelancer, true story! #neveragain

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Contract templates are everywhere online and we use the ones from AIGA. These are standard designer contracts that will help you get your business protected and keep you from experiencing issues with non-payments! This is also a great place to put in all the information you put together in the first section! 

What to do if a client crosses a boundary 

It happens, a client gets your phone number and next thing you know they are blowing you up with texts at 11:59 pm asking for something at midnight. It’s a real thing yo! The key to letting clients know how and when to communicate with you is that YOU have to be the one to stick to it. 

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You have to set a standard of not rewarding bad behavior or incorrect request processes. That is where you are the boss and need to be kind to yourself as an employee. Any job in the corporate world where your boss  asked you to work late without extra pay all the time is not one you would stay at. Don’t allow that to happen to your business either. Sometimes people think of freelancers as side hustlers, rather than legitimate businesses. It is up to us to correct that perception by sticking to the rules we lay down! When a client crosses the line, simply clearly communicate that it was over the boundary and to please refrain from doing it again. If it happens again, do not respond the next time until they submit the request in the right time and place as you have laid out. Don’t allow them to stress you out with bad communication. 

We hope these tips helped you feel more confident in setting boundaries for your clients. Check out the full reply on Facebook Live that we did on this topic! 

We have all been there, a client loves their site, and they love YOU so now what? The project is technically done and they are ready to be set free into the World Wide Web, but they hesitate.

They lock eyes with you and at that moment you know, they are NEVER leaving you. You have just made a life long bestie and your business just leveled up!

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With the right client this a dreamy situation. Establishing a long term relationship with a client, as a business owner, is pure magic! Instead of having to stress out, trying to fill your schedule, you are afforded the opportunity to keep working with someone who you already know and who has a value for you, and what you do!

If you are newer to your design career, you may be thinking…

“How do I get to this magical place of unicorn dust and fairy sparkles where clients are your friends and they book you over and over again?” 🦄✨

The first thing we always recommend is starting with stellar client communication. We talked all about our best tips for that in last week’s blog!

However, if you are a little further along and ready to take it up a notch, read on my friend, we have something cookin’ for you, good lookin’ 😉

How to sell clients upgraded services for an income bump!

Create a Maintenance Plan

Most website design clients are nervous when they get hold of their brand new baby website. Like new parents they are scared they are going to break it. You can give them tutorials, help them figure out. how to navigate the site, or give them step by step help, but the fact remains some clients just want someone to do it for them!

This is where you can help, my friend. You are the expert that they have been longing for, the vice on the other end of the phone to give them guidance! Selling a service for maintenance at a small monthly fee can be a huge advantage to you and to the client. They get peace of mind and you get recurring income!

How do you get started selling website maintenance packages?

Firstly, you need to ask your client what they need help with. What things do you get calls about repeatedly? What things are your clients most nervous and asking tons of questions about when you hand the site access over? What fears do they have about their website or marketing plan?

Create a unique product for them. You can offer base packages or standardized options with specific add ons. Then, send them an email about a month after your project ends to check in and see if they need help with anything. Remember your communication and relationship with your clients is key! This is the make or break factor for an online, service-based, business.

Try Selling Hosting Services

This is a common way of maintaining a good report and an ongoing yearly relationship with clients. You have hosting that you manage on a server and instead of the hosting company billing the client, you are the one that does the billing. You then can charge a small mark up to your clients and get a little cash for the trouble of making sure that everything runs smoothly on the site for the rest of the year.

PRO TIP: You can now do this exact thing with Weeknight Website! 🎉

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That’s right friends, if you are a website designer or marketing profesh, you can now get multiple sites on Weeknight Website and sell the licensees to clients! This will help you potentially get your website for free each year! We are launching this brand new plan just for our freelancers and hustle heroes out there. If you are interested you can get more. information when it launches by signing up for our email list below!

When you begin any journey with freelancing, it becomes really obvious that the first thing you need to be successful is, well… clients! While getting freelancing clients is a topic for a whole other blog, we wanted to talk about how you KEEP clients and make them happy.

This lesson is the single most important freelance lesson I ever learned and had I learned it earlier I might still have a few of my clients from the early days!

My Best Tips for GREAT Client Communication

1- Be Upfront and Honest

Whether it’s an unrealistic deadline expectation or a simple miscommunication, not being afraid to ask for clarity on something is a huge key in not only great communication but also saves you from wasting your time.

Great communication begins and ends with being upfront about what is possible and what is not. Your clients are not mind readers and they do not have access to your schedule. If you can not meet a deadline they have in mind let them know in advance. You are responsible for setting the pace of your project, so own that, and don’t shy away from giving clear and honest feedback on project statuses. We love this Quote from Brenee Brown “Clarity is Kindness” So be kind to your clients, and yourself!

2- Clients are Our Friends (in business)

Sometimes when we get annoyed with a client, there is a temptation to snap at them or to write a less than pleasant email. If you remember that clients are really just our friends it will help you keep your cool. We have all had that client at one time or another that just drove us crazy, the key is remembering that you are NOT their employee. You are providing them with a service or product that will help them meet their goals in business.

Like any good customer service person will tell you, escalating the situation is the opposite of what you want to do. For the most part, if you are reasonable and explain the situation clearly most clients are really understanding.

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Set Clear Boundaries

I remember when I first started freelancing and I was eager to gain client trust and prove myself. I handed out my personal phone number in an effort to let clients know that they could reach me in an emergency and that I was accessible to them. What ensued was an onslaught of texts that made me regret ever having a phone at all.

I had given them my number with no clear set expectation of how they could use it to get in touch with me. I had not defined a process for how they could get their request to me in a way that worked for me. Setting up a system for projects and realistic boundaries is one of the most valuable lessons you will learn as a freelancer or service provider.

Boundaries are what will allow you to make a career of this and not burn out. Set aside time for your self, your family, travel, and the things you love! By doing this simple step, you will be sure to avoid ending up in a Designer’s Nightmare like this girl! 😬

Read Full Designer Nightmares Post

Set weekly project check ins

This is the single best thing I ever implemented in my business! This has helped my clients feel well taken care of and reminds them that I have in no way forgotten about them or their project. What works for me is having a full day of meetings with all my current clients and potential clients. I do this on Mondays so I have the full week to make progress on their project at my own pace. Once I have those meetings with feedback and tasks for the week, I schedule everything into my Asana calendar. Then on Friday i send an update email allong with anything they will need tog et me for our Monday meeting the nect week. This keeps both myself and the client accountable to the process and timeframe we agreed on!

The best thing to do is find what works for you and your client and stick to it! Letting them know how YOUR process works, is one of the most valuable things you can do. It builds confidence and trust from the start by letting them know you have a way of doing business!

Hop you enjoyed these client communication tip sand that they help you ROCK your next project!