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FFN #85 Why I’m done letting clients ‘just one more thing’ me

FFN #85 Why I’m done letting clients ‘just one more thing’ me

Scope creep? Not on my 2025 bingo card.

Sara Gibson
May 20, 2025

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With every experience, you alone are painting your own canvas, thought by thought, choice by choice.

Oprah Winfrey

Hey besties,

Let’s talk about the slippery little rascal that’s been haunting freelancers since forever: scope creep.

Or as I like to call it — the slow leak that drains your energy, your bank account and your will to open your inbox.

I know you know the drill:
→ You agree to design a website
→ Suddenly you’re also writing all the copy??
→ Then they want you to "just quickly" make an IG strategy??
→ And oh — can you hop on one more quick call to brainstorm launch ideas too?

Okay… how did we get here?
I’ll tell you how. We’re people-pleasers. We want happy clients. We love the gold star that comes with being “so flexible and helpful.”

But here’s the tea: flexibility without boundaries is just burnout with extra steps. ☕️

The moment I snapped (in a good way)

A few months ago, I wrapped a project that should have taken 4 weeks. It dragged into 3 months. I racked up 30+ hours of work I hadn’t scoped (or billed). The client was lovely — but I’d trained them to expect unlimited yeses. That’s on me.

I realised:

Saying yes all the time isn’t client service. It’s self-sabotage.

So I made a decision: 2025 is my scope creep-free era.

Here’s exactly what I’m doing now (feel free to steal):

✨ My new boundary non-negotiables

Clear AF contracts.
If it’s not written down, it’s not happening. Every deliverable. Every revision count. Every meeting. In black and white. If you don’t have contracts, we have some here that we love.
(Yes, even “quick brainstorm chats.” Those are billable.)
Scope checklist for every project.
Whenever someone asks for “one more thing,” I literally open my checklist and ask:
“Is this in scope? If not — am I quoting for it or gently saying no?”
The checklist keeps me accountable when my brain wants to people-please.
Polite but firm scripts.
When a client says:
“Can you just add this one quick thing?”
I say:
“That sounds like a great addition! Let me pop together a quote for that extra piece and get back to you.”
Simple. Professional. Keeps things tight.
A ‘kind but clear’ mindset.
I’m not mean. I’m not rigid. I just don’t undercharge or overdeliver without compensation anymore. Respectful boundaries build respectful relationships.