Hits close to home?

Well, it shouldn’t because it’s easy to avoid getting into situations like this. There are red flags potential clients show before any contracts are even signed, and there are ways to spot them before it’s too late. Here are just a few ways you can do.

1. Keep your morals in mind

We all have morals, some we stick to more strictly than others. But at the end of the day if the thought of creating a pornography or gambling website makes you uncomfortable, don’t make it. If that’s not one of your morals and it doesn’t bother you then go ahead! Just make sure you’re following that gut feeling of when something just doesn’t sit right with you.

If your potential client has made a remark about your or someone else’s religion, gender, race etc. that you disagree with, choosing to work for them over the duration of several months might not be the best idea. If the client has a dodgy past you don’t align with, just say no.

At the end of the day, you will be the one most in control of the entire project, and if you’re not comfortable during the beginning there’s a slim chance you’ll become comfortable midway through the job.

2. Do they align with your niche?

If you’re at a stage where you don’t really have a niche and want to/ are experimenting with all types of clients, this might not apply to you as much.

However, if your entire client portfolio is filled with gym companies, creating a logo for a fast food company won’t really make sense. Not only will you have a difficult time designing since you’re used to designing for gyms, but the fast food company will also look out of place in your portfolio. The values of Anytime Fitness and McDonald’s clash (who would’ve thought), making your own values seem a little blurred and confused.

You don’t have to stick to one type of client if you don’t want to, however, if you are branching out it’d be best for all of your clients to at least be similar. For instance, you could work with a gym company then branch out to activewear, yoga studios, vitamin suppliers and health food stores.

3. How knowledgeable they are about the project

What type of language do you have to use when explaining the project to them? If having to oversimplify the prospect, contract and calls for them to understand what’s going on irritates you, taking them on board as a client will do the exact same.

It can lead to serious miscommunication from both ends, resulting in you not understanding their needs and them not understanding what you’re actually doing for them. For example, if the client pays for your basic logo package but halfway through the project, you realise their needs align more with one of the other packages.

By then they’ve already paid, you’ve already started and due to the lack of communication and understanding, they believe they’re entitled to more than what they paid for. This can lead to tension or you overworking.

Similarly, if you need them to carry out certain tasks for you, such as filling out forms, purchasing subscriptions and using project management tools, I’d doubt they won’t get confused from it all.

You have to remember that not everyone is well informed on your area of work.

If you and your potential client are going round in circles with explaining things or coming up with design concepts and that bothers you, it’s best to just leave it.

4. How do they communicate?

If you’ve set expectations with clients upfront (e.g I only want to communicate with you via email, let’s do weekly zoom calls, don’t text me after 6pm) and they repeatedly fail to comply with these boundaries, that should definitely raise some alarm bells.

YOU are in control of the project. You need to assert your authority and stand your ground, otherwise certain clients will see that as a green flag to continuously push your limits and walk all over you.

If they can’t respect you during your initial stages of working together, what makes you think they’ll begin to respect you a couple of weeks down the line?

Along the same lines of this, if your potential client is consistently responding days late that could also be a red flag. Especially if they want the work completed by a certain deadline yet they show up late to the things that will help speed up the project.

5. Think about their budget

If you know your clients budget is a lot lower than your rates, it’s best to just end things there. Taking them on either means charging them what you know they don’t have or working for free – and we don’t want either of those things. The best position to be in is them having enough money to afford the service and some more on top of that. This means that they’ll be able to cover the cost of any unexpected revisions or extended deadlines without it being a struggle.

Before I go, just remember that a “red flag” can be subjective, and what some see as a red flag may not be an issue for you (or vice versa). You just need to be observant of certain behaviours potential clients exhibit and make a rational decision of whether or not working with them will be a smart business move.