Safetygoat

Know thyself: the art of choosing projects that are good for YOU

Thursday, May 27th, 2010

Choosing new clients is scary.  It’s also completely hit and miss: sometimes the seemingly dull project is the most pleasant to work on because it’s well paid, you know what you’re getting into, and the people are a joy.  Often the most exciting projects turn out to be nightmare time-sucks.

Right now, I love all my projects.  I can actually say that I think the ideas, the people and the features are great.  I’ve been able to have lots of creative freedom, there’s been a huge level of mutual trust in skills.  And honestly, I REALLY do like the people I’m working with.

But…

I get a few legitimate offers for new work every week (sorry, everyone, I am not taking on any new work until the end of June!) so how do you know which offers you should pursue and which not to?  Here I’m going to set up a few guidelines that will aide me in the future to make sure I am discerning when I’m speaking to potential clients (and maybe help you too).

Do they match your target industries?

Being a generalist in web design is no good.  You really need to pick an area of expertise.  Do you love customizing wordpress blogs?  Are you a sports nut?  Choosing a maximum of 3 areas and working towards focusing solely on those areas makes you into an industry expert.

I would really like to get involved in more environmental projects, but since I don’t have much experience in that area, I am becoming more attuned to projects with environmental aims.  It’s a cliche, I know, but it’s really true: when you focus on areas you’re passionate about  you’ll produce higher quality work.   It also means when bigger, more interesting, fish comes up, you have the proof that you know their industry.

Do you have enough resource to do a good job?

Often times you have space for a medium size project when a really really big one comes in.  When you can’t drop your other commitments, you’re guaranteed to do less than your best.  Projects should fit your available space: you still need to sleep and occasionally shower, you know.  If you can’t stretch yourself to fit them, you’re not doing anyone any favors.  They feel neglected and you feel frazzled.

What are they like?

Some projects are so cool you want to dive right in, but warning bells often go off.  If they appear to be time wasters or their voice drives you insane during the first meeting, what makes you think they will be pleasant to work with?  Even with the best client there’s moments of tension; if you’re already ready to tear their voice box out of their throat, well, that’s a bad sign.

How to say no

I ALWAYS feel bad when I have to tell someone no.  Here are a few reasons that I say no:

1) Tell them I’m not taking on projects until (x) weeks/months.  Most people want their website yesterday, and those who are willing to wait are often more attuned to how much time projects take and how much money they should cost.

2) If I’m busy, but I have a tiny bit of spare space I could squeeze them into, I often try out a price increase.  If they accept it, I am happy to work on it as sort of an ‘overtime’ fee.  If they don’t go for it, no harm done.

3) Sometimes I’m really not interested in their project.  I’m trying to take on projects that are not just coding, challenging, useful and fit into my ‘passion areas’.  It’s really hard to turn down work, especially if it’s well-paid.  How do you do this?  I’m still learning.  A few months ago I got offered some work to design interfaces for tv.  The man was smart, interesting and would have been great to work with.  I had to tell him that I couldn’t take the job.  I told him that I wanted to focus on web design primarily in education and environment, and didn’t want to take on work that fell too far away from that goal.  It was hard, especially since sometimes people are pushy. The important thing is to stick to you guns and not get manipulated: if they’re desperate for you and pushy to get their way, it’s a sign on how it will be to work with them.

You really have to find things that get you going, that make you want to get up every day and get your blood flowing! What I’d actually like to say sometimes is, “I’m really not interested in your project.”  Anyone out there got some suggestions on how to say no?