We can’t expect every client relationship to go smoothly. It’s almost a right of passage to fire a client as a freelancer, but it doesn’t make those flames burn any less. Regardless of whether you’re in your first year of freelance or you’re well-seasoned, you’ve got to know your own limits, non-negotiables, and have a plan for how and when to walk away.
How do you know it’s time to break up?
Whilst there is no “right time”, there are some universal red flags. These can change depending on the client or project, so it’s important to know your own boundaries.
A big one for me is when the client is making it hard to do my best work due to communication issues. This can be at either end of the scale, from those who text, then call, then email, all the way to those who ghost for months at a time then want work completed immediately.
I have a big pet peeve for clients who control creativity, making me not much more than a mac monkey. They’ve hired me to be the creative professional in the room, they need to let me cook!
Finally, any recurring behaviour that makes me question myself as a designer. Scope creep on every project, constantly questioning pricing, frequent late payments of invoices or anything that is unprofessional. I’m running a business too, and if it’s costing my mental health, the price is too high.
Now I’m not saying the moment a client misses a deadline or uses the wrong hex code, you show them the door, but you have to know when enough is enough… and what to do next.
Before you break up, you need to plan to break up
Burning bridges isn’t advised in this freelance world. You never know when that client might recommend you or be asked what you’re like to work with. While we can’t control the opinions of those we don’t want to work with again, we can try to keep the burn from impacting the next opportunity.
Check your terms and conditions
In your terms and conditions for working with you, have a section that outlines if things go sour, often referred to as a Termination clause. This covers who’s responsible for what and anything that needs to be delivered before the end of the relationship.
Keep it professional
It is so tempting to tell the client off, to make sure they know they were the problem. Do this and you’re going to come off the bad guy. Once they are off your client list, their bad behaviour won’t be your problem. And whatever you do, don’t hit send on the emotional email. Let it live in your drafts.
Have an offboarding process
This ties up any loose ends that would have them sending requests to your inbox again. Once you’ve let them know it’s over and given them the end date, offboard them with grace and send them on their way.
Firing a client does not make you a bad designer, freelancer or business owner. It’s the nature of business, and your time and energy has value. Don’t waste it on a client who doesn’t deserve your genius.
