Ignoring red flags will cost you later 🚩🚩🚩.

Clients can make or break the experience you have working on a project, and it's important to set boundaries to ensure you're working in a conducive environment 👍🏿.

Remember, you would like to work with the client just as much as they would like to work with you.

You don’t need a person who can’t respect your time, efforts or boundaries ❌❌❌.

Don’t regret it later when you have the option to be ahead 🏇of the curve.

Get into it so that we can arm 💪🏾you with all the knowledge you need to ensure that your craft is not put in a compromising situation 😅.

1. They have a vague scope of work 📚📚📚

Strike 1.

If they're not sure 🤔 of what they want from the start,

they're bound to have you going around in circles ⭕️, and as a creative, you know by now that money is time and time is money 💰  .

Time-wasting and wishy-washy behaviour just won’t cut it.

You deserve to work with people who are as sure of what they want as you and have sturdiness to bring to the business relationship, rather than consistent faltering 😔.

1. They don't want to sign a contract 😒😒😒

Uh-oh. Strike 2.

Having no documentation of the expectations of both parties ahead of the project is a recipe for disaster 🫢🫢🫢.

If they would rather not 🫤sign a contract that is fair to both parties, consider why and how that could later be a pain  to you should you still go through with it 🤷🏿‍♂️.

1. They have poor communication skills 🎙🎙🎙

Incoming! Strike 3.

This often leads to inaccurate assumptions and a

heavy workload that could have been avoided 🫠.

A large part of deciphering if a business relationship is for you is the ease with which you both communicate and connect 🫱🏽‍🫲🏿🫱🏽‍🫲🏿🫱🏽‍🫲🏿.

If the communication isn’t there then there’s very little chance that anything else will be 🤷🏾.

Cut it before it’s too late! ✂️✂️✂️

1. They vent to you about other people they've worked with 🗣🗣🗣

We’re really here, we’re really at strike 4.

They’re telling you everything that you need to know about them, and you didn’t even have to do anything! 😶😶😶

They’ve shown their lack of professionalism and inability to build successful business relationships — run for the hills! 🗻🗻🗻

Expect this to be coupled with micromanaging and unnecessary pressure 💢 attached to the project.

You don’t need this. I repeat, you don’t need this 😑😑😑.

1. They prioritise pricing over value

Hmm, strike 5…

Of course no one wants to pay a fortune for a project, but when a client is just looking for the cheapest 🤧 bidder over the quality of the output, they're not the one 🥴🥴🥴.

It’s integrity over everything 🫡.

Your way of doing business has never been to cheat clients out of good quality, and you’re not about to start doing it now ❌❌❌.

If you can’t trust your partner to meet certain standards, then you can’t trust them at all 🫤.

Let it go…👋🏿

1. They don't play by your rules 📜📜📜

Final strike 6 to let you know once and for all that it could never happen.

As long as your boundaries are not being respected ❌, your rules are not played by ❌, and you’re being taken for granted ❌, there is no way you can build anything here 🚫🚫🚫.

You were doing great before this connection, and you’ll continue to do great without it 💪🏿💪🏾💪🏽.

There are creatives out there who will show you and your work the utmost regard and ADD to what you are doing rather than drain 🥲 from it —

just keep looking 🔎.

Part of being a creative is deciphering whether a business relationship is worth it ⭐️.

Whether it brings more merit than trial ⛔️ and more positives ➕ than negatives ➖. Spotting those flags 🚩 in the first few conversations and interactions ensures that you’re protecting what you’re putting at stake.

It can be hard saying no to what looks like a glittering ✨ opportunity but is really just a tragedy painted in gold 🥸.

Believe that the connections that are for you will feel right and come at the right time.

As always, you’ve got this Genius! ☺️☺️☺️

For more hard-hitting tips and posts tailored specifically for our Creative Geniuses be sure to head over to the New Comma page on Instagram @new.comma 🫶🏿🫶🏾🫶🏽

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