Project MRI
Not sure if you should take this client? Answer 10 quick questions to scan the project for hidden risks and profit leaks.
1. When discussing budget, the client...
2. How quickly do they expect you to start?
3. How clear is the project scope?
4. Did they mention previous freelancers?
5. Who makes the final decisions?
6. How do they handle payment terms?
7. Did they use the phrase 'It should be simple / quick'?
8. How do they communicate?
9. What happened when you set a boundary? (e.g. 'I don't work weekends')
10. Do they want a 'free trial' or 'test project' before signing?
How to read your result
Risk flags are not a verdict
A project with three flags is not one to refuse. It is one to price differently, contract more carefully, or stage into smaller commitments. The flags tell you what to change, not whether to walk.
Scope and budget flags are the expensive ones
Vague scope and an undefined budget cost far more than a difficult personality. A demanding client on a tightly-scoped project is profitable. A pleasant client on an open-ended one is not.
Two or more flags means get it in writing
One flag is normal. Two or more, and every assumption you are carrying in your head needs to be on paper before you start, because that is where the argument will happen.
The mistake: running this after you have already said yes
The scan is only useful before you commit, because its whole value is changing your terms. Once you have agreed a price and a scope, the flags become a list of things you now have to absorb.
What to do next
- Contract Clause Builder — Turn each flag into a clause that covers it.
- Should I take this client? — The full decision, step by step.
- Scope Creep Calculator — Puts a figure on what a vague scope costs.