2XL Networks

As a small company, you don't always have the resources to take every job. How do you decide what projects to say "no" to?

Some of the criteria we tend to think about:

• Is it for a past/existing client or a new client?
• Do we have the time to do it right?
• Do we have the resources/people to do the project?
• Do we risk not completing the project in time, and is that worse than saying "no"

I've known some people who will say "yes" to any project that comes there way, even with the tightest of deadlines, and then either charge appropriately (higher rates) or end up hiring out a smaller company (or freelancers) to do the majority of the work. These are two options we really don't like to use. We prefer to have enough time to do the job right, but in a rush situation, higher rates can be acceptable to both parties. As far as hiring out the job for someone else to do, we've often found that it can create just as much work managing things and making sure it's done right. Unless you have a pool of people you trust and are very comfortable working with, and you're confident as to the quality of their work, it can be more trouble that it's worth.

So when do you say "yes"? When an existing client needs something, and you can provide what they need. You say yes. Otherwise, we feel "no" is an acceptable answer.