Setting Better Boundaries with Clients...with Better Contracts

How to have better boundaries with freelance clients--

The first thing we want to talk about when it comes to boundaries is qualifying your leads.

Qualify your Leads

Do you qualify your leads for whether or not they will be easy-going or completely insane?

Whether or not they have respect for small businesses? Whether or not they have the same outlook on the project as you? And if not, whether or not they will e able to trust your decision when they are not in alignment with theirs?

Will they trust you because you are the expert on it or will they take on the attitude of 'my way or the highway'?

It matters a lot that the people we work with in our career as a freelancer are the right fit for us. Because that can be the one important factor to determine whether or not we enjoy what we do.

These behavior traits are often reflected in the first phase of working with these clients- the discovery call, the negotiation, the signing of the agreement phases are all enough for us to determine what we are getting into.

Look for the red flags early on. If they behave holier than thou because they have a 'business' and you're just a person with a laptop. If they start speaking when you already are in the middle of explaining something. If they have trouble listening to you. If they have trouble trusting you.

Are they arguing too much? Do they have controlling issues? Are they dominating their subordinates on calls?

Bad attitudes can not be fixed.

Now, once you have qualified a lead for their 'VIBE', better boundaries start with your...here it comes... contract.

People!!

YOu NEED CoNtrACts!!

Not having a contract means the other person can pay you if they want, but otherwise is also fine!

The terms in your contract are the first and most often the ONLY place where you set healthy boundaries.

This is your chance to let them know what it takes to be in business with you.

Here are a few terms to have in there to set the boundaries for your peace of mind -

(I am no lawyer by any standards. Please take this as introductory information and then include these clauses depending on where you are and what laws are prevalent in your country)

1. Contract starting date and ending/renewal date

The contract starting date should be when your project with the client will start. The ending date should be 3 months from the starting date, ideally. Even in cases of retainer agreements, I tend to have a 3-month contract. Because then, I have a window of opportunity to raise my rates if I want to, after 3 months.

Sometimes a project can look different but then you start doing these other things that complement your work.

For example, if you're a copywriter, you might start researching keywords or putting preliminary design elements in place.

A 3-month contract allows you to account all of that in and ask the client for a raise based on the initial set of deliverables and how they have evolved to include more.

2. Deliverables

This is where a lot of shitshows can be avoided. Write in plain words what you will deliver to the client.

Four documents in Word/Google doc with your website content.

Four blog posts (900-words each) delivered in a Google Doc.

Keyword analysis for your content marketing efforts.

One-hour strategy call every month (any more than that is charged separately at $80 per hour), etc.

Deliverables will set clear boundaries as to what a client should expect from you.

For example, when I sign on a client for an infographic, sometimes they assume that the design is included. So I explicitly mention- infographic copy (not the design).

3. Scope of work

A simple term stating that the current costs are considering the mentioned and discussed scope-of-work.

"If at any point, you think you need more than is mentioned here, I am happy to provide a separate quote for the same."

This avoids scope creep, which, honestly, is not a sign of a healthy client relationship. And certainly not a sign of powerful boundaries on your part.

Pro tip: If you can't, then don't say NO. Just say- "I'm happy to help you with that. That will be an extra $200. That sound good?"

4. Use of Name

I like to mention in my contract that I can use the client's name on my website/LinkedIn profile and feature the work I do for them in my portfolio.

(Pro tip: Use the word 'feature')

If they get back and say they don't want me to do that, I give them a second option.

"Can I send my work with you to prospects personally in emails?"

That way, I can still share my work with prospects if not publicly display it. And this way, I'm clear where I can use each client's name- and then I do that confidently.

You might want to scrap this section if you're signing an NDA (non-disclosure) with the client because that is proof that they don't want you to reveal your relationship with them.

5. Payment terms

What do they pay you and when? A very critical part of your contract.

State in clear terms that the Client will pay the Freelancer $X by the end of the month or toward the end of the project. Send an invoice before the project is done and dusted.

So right before you're about to send them the final draft of whatever it is, send them the final invoice. That way, they pay sooner.

As a copywriter, I also like to say that the final payment (if it's a project where I've broken down payments into milestones), will be due on the delivery of the first draft of all deliverables.

Any revisions will be handled after the complete payments.

Add a late fee clause- After I send an invoice, the Client will make payment within 14 days, or a late fee of 2% will be added every week the payment gets late. 

6. Revisions and Changes

"For each individual document, I will offer at most 2 rounds of revision where one email or phone call is considered one round."

That statement allows you to get consolidated revision requests and not one email every day.

Add this in-

"For every piece, you have 10 days after submission of the first draft to request a revision and 10 days after submission of the revised copy to request a second revision."

This way, revision requests don't come in a month later when you've lost all track of what the project was.

7. Copyright

For everything paid for, the Client will own the Copyright. I reserve the rights to everything not paid for.

8. Kill fee

If I start on the project and you decide that you don't need it anymore, you will pay me a kill fee of 60% of the total project rate.

Those are a few things you absolutely want in your contract to avoid all the shitshows that we get to see as solopreneurs. These are pretty standard for copywriters. So if you're a designer, developer, etc., think of the situations you've encountered before that you wouldn't want to repeat.

And think about what you could include in your contract to avoid them.

A final lesson- everything in a contract is negotiable when working with a business or even individual clients. It's part of the process. Nothing to shy away from. Negotiate contracts. Period.

Follow-up questions? Drop them below!