Hot take: Freelancers who don't set a clear project scope are just giving money away

I lost nearly $800 on a website build last month because I didn't write down exactly what 'a few tweaks' meant after the main work was done. How do you guys handle scope creep without sounding like you're nickel and diming a client?

3 comments

3 Comments

robert48328d ago

Used to think being flexible made me look good, but losing money on those "little changes" changed my mind fast. Now I write down every single tweak in the project plan before I even start. If they ask for something new later, I just point back to the paper and say it's a new charge. Turns out clients respect clear lines more than they like free work.

charlie19827d ago

Yeah, "clients respect clear lines" is so true... I read once that giving stuff away for free actually makes people value your work less. Setting those rules from the start just makes everything smoother.

bell.jessica27d ago

Totally get what you mean about writing it down first. My friend had a client ask for a "quick logo tweak" that turned into a whole new design. She just pulled up their first email and said, "Sure, that's outside our original scope, so here's what that would cost." They paid up and never tried that again.