Should Your Contracting Business Accept Family and Friends as Clients?

In the early years of your contracting business, you might be looking for any reasonable clients that you can find. It’s common to earn the business of your friends or family members as a way of growing your income and your credibility. But although the people around you may be eager to help you out, it isn’t always a good thing. Here are a few things to keep in mind when someone you know well is interested in hiring you.

Stay Professional
If the goal of doing the work is to add to your experience and professional credibility, then professionalism should be the order of the day. You can speak casually and take a friendly demeanor while you’re interacting with a friend or family member. But as you settle down to do the work, you should keep in mind what you need to follow as part of your profession. If you would ordinarily wear a uniform for the job, you should plan to wear it throughout. The early decision to depict a professional demeanor will help you avoid a lot of the problems that can come up as a result of working for friends and family.

Set Boundaries
Before you agree to do any work, you should determine which boundaries you want to set. In a lot of cases, family members and friends think that they will get a lot of leeway when they hire someone that they know. And while this could be true for certain things, you don’t want them to steamroll over your needs and expectations. For example, if you ordinarily wouldn’t allow a client to talk to you while you’re working, you may need to set the same boundary for others. Give yourself the time in advance to figure out what you’re willing to do and which aspects present a hard line. That way, you don’t have to decide on the fly.

Get It in Writing
If you’ve ever done work for someone who thought that being a friend or relative meant a 100% discount, then you may understand the importance of getting payment expectations in writing. People outside the construction industry may not realize that most of your costs go to expenses like materials, equipment or rental space. They may think that you can cut them a significant discount, whether or not you can. Be sure to put your expectations in writing just like you would for any other client. If you want to give them a discount, let them know that you’re doing so and how much it is.

Don’t Agree to Cut Corners
Some jobs require some negotiation, especially if you need to get a client’s input on material choices or the way they want something to look. If you have a friend or relative who is expecting you to do work quickly or on the cheap, they might press you to cut corners. The problem with this is that you may end up with an unsatisfactory final result. If your goal is to build references and credibility, you need to have a finished project that you can be proud to show others. Along with the other boundaries you set, be clear about which aspects of the project you are and aren’t willing to compromise on.

Ask for a Second Opinion
When you are first running a business, it’s not always easy to tell whether or not a project is going to go well for you or be a nightmare. In those cases, it’s common to get a second opinion, and you may have several options. If you have a mentor or colleague that you can rely on, you may want to ask them about the wisdom of taking on a certain project from a familiar client. Otherwise, get input from someone else in your family or friend circle. They may have a relevant perspective that you can use to make a wise decision.

Doing work for friends and family can be an important part of running your contracting business. You just want to make sure that it will be a good experience. To learn more about the ins and outs of being a licensed contractor, visit CSLS today!