Over the last year I’ve had several discussions with potential clients about projects that for one reason or other were not right for me. Sometimes I could tell within minutes of the first contact with the client that the fit was not right. Other times, it has taken weeks of qualifying before finally saying “no”.

Here are five examples of projects I’ve turned down, and reasons why you may want to too:

1. Working for equity

This seems to be a very common request from startups who have not yet secured any funding. They are looking to build prototypes or MVP’s, and do not have any cash for development. Instead, they promise equity in the company. Sadly, equity does not put food on the table for me or my family, so this arrangement is never going to work for me.

2. Clients that do not seem business savvy

Let’s call this the “hunch” that you get when you first talk to a client. More often a not, if you get an impression that the project owner is winging it, then things are not likely to run smoothly. Better to bail out sooner rather than later.

3. Project requirements are not aligned with skills

Sometimes projects come in that sound amazing, but the only issue is that the skills required are not quite what you have. Its tempting to take on the project anyway, but this is likely to lead to difficulties further on down the line.

4. Ethical or moral reservations

Betting sites. Debt-collecting agencies. Two examples of businesses that I’ve refused to work with for ethical reasons.

5. Hourly billing

I used to work with some clients on an hourly basis. These days, I only allow myself to be booked daily or weekly. Why? Hourly billing inevitably leads to a feeling of being micro-managed. Being diligent and tracking your time hourly is very difficult. Allowing a client to book you for a day or more allows you to completely focus on their project during that time.

6. Recruitment agencies

I have always preferred worked with clients directly. Working with a recruitment agent means you are essentially dealing with a middleman. This can often lead to communication issues — the recruiter may be selling you a project that is not quite what the end client is expecting. They also take a big chunk of the client’s budget for their own cut. Avoid these issues, and deal with clients directly.

What kind of projects have you turned down or would refuse to work on? Let me know in the comments section below!

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photo credit: No by sboneham on Flickr