Why do freelancer projects fail? 5 common reasons

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FREELANCER TIPS

• Why Do Freelancer Projects Fail?
• 5 Common Reasons

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Why Do Freelancer Projects Fail? 5 Common Reasons

• When working as a freelancer, inevitably, some
  projects will fail. Sometimes it will be your
  fault, other times it will be your clients, but
  most often it is a combination of both. Projects
  in which you work as a freelancer depend on a lot
  of factors and require a good relationship built
  on understanding, motivation and know-how of both
  sides. It is your responsibility as a freelancer
  to develop those skills and learn from failed
  projects. Failing is absolutely OK, provided you
  learn something from it. To help you learn
  without having to do all the dirty work, here are
  5 common reasons for project failure

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Why Do Freelancer Projects Fail? 5 Common Reasons
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1) Scope creep

• One of the biggest things to keep in mind for
  projects is that they change. Ideas, priorities
  and goals evolve. If these changes are not
  handled properly, the so-called scope creep can
  occur. When a projects scope keeps growing or
  changing without control mechanisms in change,
  things tend to get out of hand. The best way to
  avoid scope creep is to make sure that the
  project budget, time and other resources adapt to
  the changes.

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2) Unwillingness to change

• Keeping our first point in mind, change in itself
  is not something bad. It will almost always
  happen and often must happen. The initial project
  draft shouldnt be regarded as set in stone. Be
  willing to argue for changes that would improve
  the end product and also learn to accept such
  changes when the suggestions come from others.

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3) Lack of communication

• Not communicating where the project is headed and
  how things are progressing is quite possibly the
  most common reason for a project to fail. What
  this means for you as a freelancer, particularly,
  is that you shouldnt hesitate to communicate any
  problems that might be occurring. If you feel
  like you wont be able to finish your work on
  time, be honest with your client. Often, they
  will be happy to allocate more resources or
  extend the project deadline in order to get the
  quality they want.

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4) Unrealistic deadlines

• When a freelancer hears the words unrealistic
  deadlines, he or she mostly thinks about not
  being given enough time. And while that is a
  totally valid and often occurring issue,
  deadlines that are too long can be equally
  problematic as well. Breaking down the project
  into smaller parts by creating milestones,
  whether in cooperation with the client or just
  for yourself, is a great strategy to resolve that
  problem.

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5) Poorly defined objectives

• Last but not least, projects fail because it is
  not clear what they are supposed to accomplish.
  Most freelancers have at one point or another had
  clients that dont really know what they want to
  achieve with a given project. This leads to
  constant changes in the nature of the task in
  itself, which can be really frustrating as good
  work goes to waste. Work together with your
  clients and help guide them towards good goals. A
  well-defined project objective is specific,
  attainable and measurable.

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