I'm turning down work. Is that crazy? 🤪

Why some clients just aren't worth taking on.

On the surface it sure seems that way. Turning down work as a freelancer trying to keep the calendar full with paying work is a tough, tough choice. But I know from previous experience that it's the right one.

Here's why: Three of my first interactions with the client were bright yellow flags and left me with a puddle anxiety in the pit of my stomach.

⚠️ When I asked them to email me their website address they told me they couldn't, because someone who managed the current site has access to their email and might see our correspondence.
⚠️ After reviewing their site I texted them and asked them to send me a quick overview of the work they'd like done on the site. Instead of texting back they called twice and left no message.
⚠️ They trashed their previous developers, saying they ripped the client off, which didn't match with what I saw on the client's site.

All three of these together form a pattern that shows this is not a client worth taking. Refusal to put things in writing is always a yellow flag, and generally foreshadows ballooning scope creep that they will refuse to pay for.

Which likely contributed to the last yellow flag: The previous developers couldn't manage the ever-changing client requests and fired the client, who felt victimized by the boundaries that their developers felt, and trashed the developers behind their backs. If a potential client trashes their previous employees to you, they will absolutely trash you to the next person they try to hire.

Could I talk myself into this work? Absolutely. I'm not desperate for work, but having too many clients always feels like just enough when I'm freelancing. But what I know from experience is that the money I get from clients like these never ever pays for the exhaustion and frustration of trying to satisfy their endless list of grievances.

Have you turned down clients before? Have you ever wished you had?