When considering “yes” or “no” about taking on a project, it’s tempting to jump in with a resounding, “Yeah, I’ll do that!” if the price is right. But as your business and base of clients grow, accepting every project and new client that comes down the pike can become problematic. Some of the adverse effects include failure to deliver quality work, not having enough time for your long-time loyal clients, and jeopardizing your well-being.
Let the Two C’s Guide You
Though I think you should always consider them, I strongly recommend that these two C’s stay in the forefront of your mind when you find yourself exceptionally busy. BEFORE agreeing to work on any project, assess your…
Capability
Do you have the skills required to do what the client is asking you to do? Remember, your reputation depends on doing quality work. If you’re presented with a project opportunity that requires talents and experience that you don’t possess, it might be in your best interest to decline it. That’s especially true if you’ve already got enough work to sustain you. Never try to be the square peg squeezing into the round hole. That’s never a good fit!
Capacity
Do you have the time to complete the project and meet the client’s deadline? The foresight to plan ahead and strong organizational skills are your best friends when making the call. You need to get a good handle on the scope of projects, determine how much time they’ll require, and reserve space for them on your calendar. If you don’t, you’ll never know whether or not you can comfortably take on any additional client commitments.
Keep in mind that capability and capacity are interwoven. If you’re presented with a project opportunity that’s similar to those that you tackle on a regular basis, it will likely take less time and effort than a type of project that you have little or no experience with. Always pay attention to both capability and capacity when a new client or an existing one brings new work to the table – or you’ll risk making a poor go/no-go decision!
What other ways to you qualify work before you accept it? Please share your tips for taking on work that’s a good fit!
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I can’t think of a “C” word to describe it, but you mentioned being careful (AH, Careful) of the types of businesses you take on. If it’s a business that has a shady reputation, you could end up being associated with that mess. I appreciated the advice and have let a certain business go based on that!
Thanks, Carrie! I was wondering about that – I believe you definitely made the right decision!
When I initially commented I clicked the “Notify me when new comments are added” checkbox
and now each time a comment is added I get three emails with
the same comment. Is there any way you can remove me from that service?
Thank you!
Hmmm. Sorry about that! Not sure what WordPress is doing! I don’t know that I’m able to do that, but I think there should be an option in the emails that allows you to stop following the conversation. I know I’ve used it myself when I was getting too many emails about comments on blog posts that I commented on.
Hope you find that option there!
Dawn