Open Thread: Do You Take All the Work You Are Offered?
Posted February 14, 2010 in Open Thread 39 Comments »
Last week we got a huge response when we asked our Facebook followers this question, so this week I want to ask the same thing to everyone who reads our blog:
Do you take all the work that you are offered, or do you turn some of it down?
As freelancers, we sometimes face a feast or famine environment. When work comes, any work, it can be tempting to accept that work even if it’s not really a good fit for our business.
Making the decision to turn down work is a tough one, but all freelancers are faced with this decision eventually.
Share your story in the comments–tell us what makes you accept a project and which projects (if any) you refuse. Be sure to offer any tips that you have for choosing good clients.
About the author: Laura Spencer is a freelance writer from North Central Texas with over 19 years of professional business writing experience. If you liked this post, then you may also enjoy Laura’s blog about her freelance writing experiences, WritingThoughts
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39 Comments
Tom | Build That List
February 14th, 2010 at 8:35 amNo, I do not! I will only take on new work if I have the time and the resources. While I don’t like turning down work, if I have too, I make sure I have someone that I can refer them too.
Salma Jafri - Content Development
February 14th, 2010 at 8:43 amNopes; I often refuse work for unresponsive buyers or those who’s online reputation is less then savory. Red flags go up in my mind when i see/read buyers referring to how easy a project is to do and how exactly much time it’ll take. A close-minded attitude right at the start does not bode well for a healthy working relationship in the future.
Jacques//An1ken
February 14th, 2010 at 8:51 amDefinitely Not.
As a designer we can’t afford to take in all the work were offered. You have to come to that point of saying NO, or handing down the project to another designer. Either way you can’t say yes to all the jobs you get in.
You have to focus and pace yourself in your business.
Jacques
@DocuMaker
February 14th, 2010 at 8:56 amAs a beginner, I took on as much work as I could attract, but quickly learned doing so not only reduced the quality of my work, it also reduced the quality of my life.
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February 14th, 2010 at 9:00 amWell i allways take projects in my conditions and i gave high timeframes (monts my standard timeframe is 100 days) to avoid any problems
I’m a SEO
I take only projects with people that don’t expend miracles or for 100$ want 10 000$ work
Sometimes i have to much projects on my hands but in the end i manage to get all dfone
I think i refuse like 1 projects/week
Regards
Jennifer Brown Banks
February 14th, 2010 at 9:21 amThough it can be tempting at times, I certainly don’t take on all clients or projects.
I typically steer clear of individuals or businesses that are unrealistic in their initial expectations, those who are chronic complainers, or those with incompatible work ethics and/or work styles.
Jill
February 14th, 2010 at 9:43 amI only take on as much work as I know I can reasonably handle. I might try to talk the clients into extending the deadline so that I can accept the job, but if that isn’t possible I recommend some colleagues who might be able to help them. You don’t do the client any favors by accepting work you can’t do an excellent and thorough job on. It isn’t fair to them or you.
Nicole Foster
February 14th, 2010 at 10:04 amI never take on too much work because I know I won’t be able to handle it all. I usually deny those who try to negotiate way under my prices or those who have an unrealistic deadline and won’t budge from it.
Rebecca Haden
February 14th, 2010 at 10:37 amAt first, I took all the jobs I was offered, out of the sort of nervousness you describe. In the course of doing that, I found myself doing some things that were bad choices for me: stuff I’m not very good at like design, stuff I hate like data entry disguised as writing, stuff I find distasteful like content built around keyword formulae.
It isn’t worth it. There’s plenty of work out there.
Now I only take work that is good for me and my business. I don’t like turning down work because I’m too busy (though it happens), but turning down work that isn’t a good fit is good business.
fiona
February 14th, 2010 at 11:04 amNope, I can’t accept all the work I’m offered. I don’t freelance full-time, so sometimes it’s just not practical to accept a job, if I don’t have the time to devote to it. It would be worse to accept it and miss the deadline than to turn it down in the first place.
Eduardo Portillo
February 14th, 2010 at 11:25 amI had to refuse some works for various reasons, I have worked in an office wher I had to do almost everything magazines, books, web, animations, banner, an so on, obviously I cannot refuse work there, but I’ve noticed quickly that some jobs have to ve refused, short time to accomplish, jobs that demand expertises that we don’t have, very low pay for the particular work.
For that as a freelance now I have refused some, one was an existing website, the clients wants to migrate his html/php one to one completelly donne and managed by Joomla, giving me just 15 days (the site is very huge from a goverment agency) and the work must be donne in their offices, in that time I must do the design make the layout, migrate the site and do the training of the employees that will do the manteinance, there was to difficulties obviously time the big one and a very low payment thay offered $2,000 for the job, I must be away of my office 15 days and also away from my other clients.
Some other refusals are of what I call “mala paga” or “bad pay” peolple who ask for a master piece and offers you just cents for the job, people that don’t care about the job, had a client who ask to do her a brochure in last august the same month I send the scketches in november she ask for two more proposals and since then no notice, I was forced to notify her that I will no longer do the job and her down payment covers the work already done.
Whan I had a proposal to do a job that involves expertices that I don’t have I seek the help of a fellow freelancer that does the job for me, I was still in charge of the dealing and payments since here in EL Salvador you need to be authorized by the goverment to issue invoices and ths fellow had not I do the paper work and he the real work we both end hapy he has the money and I keep the client.
Always remember the best is to say yes, but sometimes we must say no, a polite refusal makes you keep your client and accept a job that can ends up bad can make you lost the client.
Lisa
February 14th, 2010 at 12:02 pmI’m at the point where I’m taking everything that comes in because it’s coming in infrequently. I was outsourcing for webdesign firms who resold my work. I’ve stopped that and now am at a loss for clients. I’m also working to build a niche (CMS for small biz) but that takes time.
Cassie Armstrong
February 14th, 2010 at 2:24 pmRight now I take on every proofreading project that fits my schedule. I need to do that to keep working and to keep my name out there. I turn down projects only if the turnaround time is too quick for the the payment amount.
I am finding that proofreading projects are not coming as frequently this year as they did last year. That may be because the publishing houses are still finishing last year’s projects. In any case, I am in no position to turn down work. I hope that changes.
Lucian
February 14th, 2010 at 2:42 pmI try to take most of work that worth’s, but is impossible to take everything, as some clients are really cheap.
Sometimes, when I am slower with the larger projects I am available for so called rush jobs like: messed up websites by other developers, are down and need to be up in a short time, IE CSS bug fixes etc.
I’ve got many requests like that and $200-$300 in few hours is a good extra income. The clients are also happy they have their website up again or fixed in in a very short time.
I also make sure I outsource flash work I don’t do and advanced PHP programming. My partners are pretty busy that way too and I have the clients under my management, when they need some further work.
Eve
February 14th, 2010 at 2:53 pmI don’t take every job, some I refer to newer designers if the clients budget is too low for what I offer, and sometimes I can tell from the initial email that they will be more trouble than they are worth. I always reply though, and help to put them in contact with someone that can help, be it someone cheaper or that has more experience in what they need, or even just a more patient designer.
Luckily I don’t have to say no often, but it has happened, and I don’t regret it at all, as a matter of fact, looking back at some of my jobs I should have said no a few more times, but it is a learning process and eventually we will get it down pat!
Laura Spencer
February 14th, 2010 at 2:54 pmGreat comments!
I do have to turn a lot of work away, but often I refer requests that I can’t handle to other freelancers or (if the client has a low budget) I encourage them to try a service like Elance.
Rob Loukotka
February 14th, 2010 at 3:31 pmRecently I’ve become so busy I actually turn down more offers than I accept.
When clients have very tight budgets, or ridiculous deadlines, it’s just not worth the stress to work with them, as I have a large pool of great clients already.
Generally the criteria for starting a new work relationship with me is that the project needs to be really interesting, or something I haven’t done… and that project has to be somebody passionate, smart, and relatively nice. If you can work with nice, interesting people, you’ll have a lot more fun doing what you love (design in this case) than if you simply take every project thrown at you.
That said, I always follow up on inquiries, even if I know I can’t work with someone. It’s interesting to hear about new business ideas, and there’s always the option of referring them to a buddy who can help them.
Jordan Walker
February 14th, 2010 at 3:58 pmI talk to everyone who is referred to me, some times a client will want to work with me, some times not. I have never turned down a job. I have let some clients go that do not pay.
Andrew Kelsall
February 14th, 2010 at 5:02 pmThat’s a great post, Laura.
I have turned down a fair amount of work recently, but I have been blessed enough to still have some to continue with. I know that any freelancer can turn down work and be caught short by it!
I wrote an article on my own blog about this topic entitled ‘What Wouldn’t you Design For?’. It’s a really interesting read, and features the opinions of over 20 popular and up-and-coming Graphic Designers.
Hope you don’t mind me leaving the link to it: http://www.andrewkelsall.com/what-who-wouldnt-design-for/
Andrew Burnett
February 14th, 2010 at 11:42 pmLike many of the earlier commenters, I used to take on all work I was offered. Now I probably turn down between 60% and 70% of work I’m offered, it can be nerve wracking to do this, but ultimately by vetting your clients very carefully you improve your work and your reputation. Funnily enough as your reputation spreads you get offered even more work, I think that’s what has lead to me having to turn down so much.
D.T. Pennington
February 15th, 2010 at 12:03 amRecently, my circumstances have changed and I’ve actually had to rely more on my freelance business to bring in the bucks. Naturally, the standards on what I will accept for work have been lowered.
I’ve got a bit of an addiction to start-up companies and I am always interested in helping them make their products BETTER. However, sometimes I get a pitch from one of these entrepreneurs and I have to ask how insane they have to be to think that it will work. Now, I ask how insane I have to be to want to attach my name to it.
In the end, financial situations aside, I have to assess the credibility I will maintain from the work I am asked to do. I’d hate to be the guy who always attaches himself to projects that rarely follow through.
David Margolius
February 15th, 2010 at 7:21 amOne of the most important reasons I chose to work as a freelance copywriter (I used to be in the corporate world) was to take back control of what I do and when I do it. I was recently offered a potentially lucrative writing project from an existing customer because it is a type of writing I am not interested in (RFP response). I once did this for a living and was happy to abandon it for more creative marcom writing (which I love). I explained to the customer politely that I no longer do this type of work and respectfully decline his offer. The customer was disappointed in my response and hinted that our relationship could be affected moving forward (ouch!).
At first this bothered me deeply. However, upon further reflection, I realized that this is the price I have to pay to be true to myself and to enjoy what I do. Being in control of my work and my life is more important than a lost gig. And I don’t think it’s too much to expect from my customers to understand that.
Kyriakos
February 15th, 2010 at 7:23 ami sometimes find myself giving high estimates to clients I believe are not what they seem to be and hidden costs will arise but don’t say ‘NO’ directly.
rehtse
February 15th, 2010 at 7:47 amWell, in my case, it depends on the work I have in the moment of the offer…
Keith Mountifield
February 15th, 2010 at 8:22 amI try to work out early in the pitch / application process which projects are going to work for me, taking into accopunt the client, the poject requirements, profitability and my diary. As a result I don’t tend to need to refuse work once it’s offered, but red flag projects do tend to find thier own exit during the pitch stages.
If I do get offerd a project that has started to give me a bad feeling I do refuse it as long as the bills are going to be paid the following month… if not, what can you do? Just take the work.
I’m lucky that I work with a couple of reguarly clients who keep regular work coming in as well as a few smaller customer who give me a good variety.
Jeff Archibald
February 15th, 2010 at 1:30 pmI essentially only turn down work if the client appears to be a poor match for me. For example, really low value of design (“I’ll pay you $50 for this logo”), ridiculous timelines, generally questionable attitude towards design etc.
The other main areas where freelancers turn down work – eg. too much on their plate, out of their realm of expertise, etc – I try and still take on, but do so letting the client know that it will be a while until I can get to their project, or that I’ll be outsourcing this part of the design, etc etc.
Aleksandar
February 15th, 2010 at 2:46 pmI turned down just a few offered so far. For some that shall take me much time for small amount of money and few where I couldn’t give the best service.
Julian
February 15th, 2010 at 5:57 pmNo!
Even though sometimes I really need the business, if the work is far beyond my capabilities or at a rediculously low rate I turn it down, no second thoughts.
I’d rather starve for today with my reputation intact than suffer than have it tarnished with a poor or negative feedback due to lack of skills and inability to deliver quality work.
Tiffany
February 15th, 2010 at 8:29 pmWhen I first started freelancing a few years ago I took just about any work I could get my hands on because I was afraid the minute I started turning down money was the minute my business would dry up. But after about a month or so of working my fingers to the bone and being completely dried up I realized that I had to work smarter not harder to survive.
FreelanceApple
February 15th, 2010 at 8:37 pmDefinitely not!
Las Vegas Web Design
February 16th, 2010 at 2:27 pmAt the beginning we took every work, we don´t said NO to anything! But then, with time and experience, we have changed. Now we ask simple questions that act as filters to determine if the work is “for us” or if we should not take it!
Very simple and very effective!
—————————————
Al principio tomábamos todos los trabajos, no le decíamos que no a nada! Pero después, con el tiempo y la experiencia, fuimos cambiando. Ahora lo que hacemos es simplemente hacer ciertas preguntas que actúan como filtro para saber si es un trabajo que debemos, o no debemos tomar!
Muy simple, y MUY efectivo!
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