The Confident Web Designer

The latest blog post is up.

How to Create a Project Scope Document (Or Use My Ready-Made Template) — Mackenzie Graham-Fehr Learn how to create a clear, effective project scope document that sets expectations and prevents scope creep. Download my free, customizable project scope template to simplify your web design projects and streamline client communication.

Let's talk about change budget. It really is the easiest thing you can implement in your business to help eliminate scope creep.

Every project you do should have a change budget. Changes to scope (even small changes) can be project killers. Every little change the client requests has an impact of a project timeline and budget.

Don't use a change budget? No worries. Here are three easy steps to help you implement one.

1. Pick your price
You decide how much a change budget should be. New to projects? Pick a flat rate. (Between $250 and $500 are popular rates for new designers)

Been in business for a while? Make it a percentage of the total project cost. (5% - 7% is a good range)

2. Build your process
You want to make sure you have your systems and processes in place for handling a change budget.

Decide on things like - When will you collect the change budget? How do clients request changes to a project (and have it come out of the budget)? What constitutes a change? What happens if they go over the change budget? What happens to any unused money from the change budget?

3. Communicate it
Hidden fees are the worst and your change budget should come as no surprise to your clients.

The change budget should be discussed before they become clients, it should be outlined in your welcome package (and your contract*), and it should be covered during the kick off meeting.
(*I'm not a lawyer so this isn't legal advice.)

So tell me - do you have a change budget? If not, are you going to start implementing one? Let me know in the comments below. 😃