Set Better Boundaries, Get Better Results

Freelancing can be scary, and empowering at the same time.

You are a single-person department running marketing, operations, and client retention. To grow, you talk yourself into attracting clients by giving them a hands-off casual work experience. You want a non-corporate-ish reputation by accommodating all your client  requests and demands.

You have your door open always, all hours of the day, and without any restrictions. Paid invoices don’t have to set the scene for persistent inconveniences. Since you lack corporate-like budgets to recruit clients, you want to meet your client’s needs with an all-consuming dedication. You have difficulty with boundaries because you want clients to like and return to your brand. I get it! I’ve been there myself. But what I’ve learnt as a solopreneur is to think of yourself as a company. Ask yourself what practices are acceptable and rude in a professional setting. Clients will respect you for having boundaries and sticking to them. 

A client who doesn’t respect your boundaries is not your client. Boundaries don't mean less business, it means taking care of yourself which in turn benefits your business. Here are five boundaries you need to consider implementing:

A contract

It may feel awkward to begin a one-to-one business relationship with “I’ll send you my contract”. A contract doesn’t safeguard only the party proposing it, your client is also protected. Either party can refer to the contract in court if the other party doesn't deliver. A contract outlines what the job is, how it will be done, the timeline of payments and other procedures. Even if the job appears small, pad it up with a contract. The brief may change. If you’re asked for more work than what was initially planned, the written contract empowers you to charge an additional fee for work outside its scope. The additional work can be done after the deliverables outlined in the contract are completed. Also, the contract will officiate the initial deposit, the terms of refundability and late payment fees. Yes, even late payment fees. 

It’s hard to find a freelancer who says they regret having a contract. I use Contracts Market for all my contract needs. For my American friends, check out The Contract Shop. (These are affiliate links which means I get a commission for purchases made through these links with no extra cost to you of course!)

A kick-off call

Everything in life changes and in the freelance world, this may even mean the project brief. However simple the job may look, always have a kick-off call to ensure you have a clear concise brief moving forward. A kick-off call isn’t the same as the discovery call (where you’re connecting with the client for the first time, and spotting their need for your business). The client and you could have different ideas of the same concept. Imagine spending a week working on their request, only to find that the client had a different interpretation of it. Their expectations and your efforts are both defeated. 

Depending on the service you provide, you may send out a questionnaire after you’ve onboarded them. I send my clients a branding questionnaire before a kick-off call. This helps us align further in what we want from the project on top of the knitty gritty details I need to create a strategic brand and website for them. Once they complete it, I use the kick-off call to discuss next steps and any questions they have moving forward to make sure we are 100% on the same page before the project starts. 

Revisions

In most professions, especially mine, revisions are part of the trade. While I’ve expanded my patience to carry out any number of revisions, my time can’t be expanded. Depending on the job, you can cap off on-the-job revisions at a certain limit (I personally do two rounds of revisions), and charge for every revision after that. It also encourages the client to pay attention to your output and their expectations. Brief details and project approvals move faster when you make it known that your time is valuable.

Timelines

Freelancing is like a ping-pong game between you and the client (but you both win!) The project goes back and forth between you and them. Your client needs to give you timely and clear feedback at the different stages. They may be a very busy person juggling a lot of other things apart from corresponding with you. This is why I love using Asana, a project management tool that keeps me and my clients organized. Asana sends out emails alerting my clients about due dates for their feedback. If they miss the emails, I wait out two days before contacting the client myself. Waiting too long for feedback may cause you to lose the headspace needed for the task. It can also push you back if you are working with more than one client. My welcome guide also gives my clients pointers for feedback; I ask for specificity and mindfulness of our planned strategy.

Hours and communication

Though I work on my freelance projects in the evening, I make it clear to my clients that it does not mean I am available at that time. I return the same courtesy; if I get down to replying to an email late in the evening, I schedule it to be sent during their preferred hours of communication during the following day. 

However, keep in mind that you may have clients who live outside your time zone. Ask them what their hours of availability are and notify them about yours. This also helps construct stress-free timelines. 

As a freelancer, a business phone isn’t always necessary and using my personal phone isn’t in the cards for me. Unfortunately, a client once called my phone at 7 pm and left a voicemail to call them back ASAP. You can imagine how much that put a damper on my evening and my ability to unwind before bed. That being said, my preferred verbal communication with clients is Zoom. When Zoom fatigue sets in, I use Loom!

I believe in investing in rest as equally as I believe in investing in effective, strategic design.

Establish these boundaries at the start of your working relationship. Don’t feel shy about it. It tells your clients that you're as human as them. Setting these boundaries not only protects your business but most importantly, wellbeing. For more ways to build better client relationships, read my tips and suggestions for a smooth client onboarding process.