In the world of service-based businesses, boundaries aren’t just nice-to-haves; they’re essential for maintaining your peace of mind, protecting your time, and ensuring client relationships run smoothly. Many entrepreneurs struggle with clients overstepping their boundaries, making excessive demands, or expecting more than what was originally agreed upon. If you’ve ever found yourself in this position, the answer might lie in one of your most powerful business tools: your contract.
A well-written contract can be your best ally in setting and enforcing boundaries. It serves as a roadmap for your relationship with your client, laying out clear expectations for both parties, defining the scope of work, and protecting you from client overwhelm. In this article, we’ll dive into how your contract can be a key player in shielding you from stress while ensuring professional relationships stay respectful and productive.
The Power of a Clear Scope of Work
At the heart of most boundary issues is the dreaded scope creep—when a client continuously adds new tasks and requests outside of what was originally agreed upon. This can lead to frustration, overwhelm, and resentment if left unchecked.
Including a Scope of Work (SOW) clause in your contract is one of the most important ways to prevent this. Your SOW should detail exactly what services you’ll be providing and what is outside the scope of the agreement.
Here's an example of an overly general scope of work clause for a virtual assistant:
"The virtual assistant will provide general administrative support for the client as needed."
This scope is too vague and opens the door for the client to ask for a wide range of tasks without clear boundaries.
Instead, the virtual assistant should use language that clearly defines their deliverables, as well as how much time they will devote to certain tasks, like this for example:
"The virtual assistant will perform the following tasks for the client:
- Manage email inbox, respond to inquiries, and organize emails, spending up to 2 hours per day.
- Schedule appointments and manage the client’s calendar using Google Calendar.
- Update and maintain a list of client contacts in the CRM system once per week.
- Create and post social media content (up to 3 posts per week) using provided templates on Instagram and LinkedIn.
- Assist with basic data entry tasks in Google Sheets for up to 5 hours per month. Any additional tasks outside the above-listed services will be considered out of scope and will require a separate agreement or additional fee."*
This scope clearly outlines specific tasks, frequency, and limits on time, which prevents scope creep and sets expectations for both parties.
The same principal applies to any type of service provider. Take for example an overly broad scope of work for a graphic designer:
"The graphic designer will create designs for the client’s branding and marketing needs."
This scope is too broad and leaves it open for the client to request an endless number of designs or revisions, without clarifying what "branding and marketing needs" actually cover.
Instead, the graphic designer should specify the project details, amount of revisions, and provide an hourly rate for any requests that exceed the scope like this:
"The graphic designer will create the following for the client’s branding and marketing:
- One brand logo, with up to three initial concepts and two rounds of revisions.
- Five social media templates for Instagram posts, in PNG and JPG formats, with one round of revisions.
- One business card design, with up to two initial concepts and two rounds of revisions.
- A set of three promotional flyers, with two initial layout concepts and one round of revisions each. Any additional revisions or designs outside of this scope will be billed at $50 per hour or per project as mutually agreed upon."*
These specific scopes of work ensure that both the service provider and client are on the same page from the start, avoiding misunderstandings and overwork down the line.
Define Your Availability and Communication Boundaries
Client overwhelm often stems from unclear communication expectations. I first heard it from the great Dave Ramsey: "To be unclear is to be unkind." You can head off a lot of disputes or people problems by making this very plain and clear up front.
Maybe you’ve had clients who call or text you after hours, or clients who expect immediate responses to every email. These are classic examples of boundary violations, and they can easily be avoided by setting clear communication rules within your contract.
Maybe you’re a working mom like me, and you started your business for greater flexibility. When you're with your kids (or doing any other important non-work thing), you want to protect yourself from the stress of feeling like you should be constantly checking your email and responding instantly to your clients. Manage these expectations in your client contract to ensure you're not pressured into being available 24/7.
You do not have to state which specific days you are working, but you can indicate when you are not available. For example, you might say you’re unavailable on Fridays, and that you aim to respond to all communications within 48 hours during weekday hours. This approach gives you the freedom to balance your work and personal life without feeling like you're always "on call."
An Availability and Communication clause could look like this:
“[Assistant/Coach/Service Provider] is available for calls and email responses Monday through Friday, 9 AM to 5 PM. Any communications sent outside of these hours will be responded to within 48 hours after the next business day. The service provider is not available on Fridays and does not communicate via text or social media platforms unless otherwise agreed in writing.”
This simple yet effective clause prevents clients from expecting 24/7 access to you, reinforces that you have boundaries, and gives you space to focus on the things that matter most when you're away from your desk.
You include something like this in your contract or even in your client welcome packet.
Payment Terms to Protect Your Cash Flow
Another source of overwhelm for many entrepreneurs is chasing down late payments or dealing with clients who don’t honor their financial commitments. This is where strong payment terms come into play, including the option of requiring an upfront retainer or full payment before starting the work.
A retainer is a great way to ensure you're compensated as you complete work. For virtual assistants, online business managers, and consultants, a retainer agreement can provide a steady flow of income. With a retainer, the client pays a set amount upfront, and you deduct from it as work is completed. This protects you from the stress of waiting on payments and ensures you're paid for your time as the work progresses.
Here’s how you could structure a retainer clause:
“The client agrees to pay a monthly retainer of $1,000, which will be applied to the services provided. Hours worked will be deducted from the retainer at a rate of $50 per hour. Once the retainer is exhausted, the client will receive an invoice for any additional work, due within 7 days.”
You can also structure a retainer clause as compensation for a set of deliverables at a flat rate fee. So, rather than deducting for hours worked, your scope of work would include certain tasks that must be completed and the retainer payment will apply to those services. This way, you are rewarded for your efficiency. If you plan on expanding your team and hiring your own subcontractors to help you furnish your services to your clients, this can be a great way to structure your packages.
For project-based work, it’s common to require payment in full upfront or to collect a portion of the total package price with the remainder due before the project is delivered or completed. This is particularly effective for website designers, branding professionals, copywriters, and other creatives who deliver a final product. By asking for full payment before you hand over the final project, you protect yourself from clients who might delay payment or avoid it altogether.
Revision Limits to Prevent Endless Revisions
In creative or service-based work, revision requests can be a slippery slope that leads to frustration and overwhelm. While you may want to accommodate a client’s vision, without limits, revisions can pile up and consume more time than anticipated.
An effective Revision Limits clause could read:
“The client is entitled to two rounds of revisions on the project. Any additional revisions will be billed at a rate of $X per hour or $X per additional round of revisions.”
This clause helps manage expectations and prevents clients from taking advantage of your time and resources with endless revision requests.
Termination Clause for Your Protection
Sometimes, despite your best efforts, a client relationship just doesn’t work out. It’s crucial to have a Termination Clause in place to protect both you and the client in such situations.
Here’s an example:
“Either party may terminate this agreement at any time with [X] days written notice. If the client terminates the agreement, they will be responsible for paying for any work completed up to the termination date.”
This allows both parties to exit the relationship respectfully and ensures that you’re compensated for the work you’ve done, even if the client decides to end the project early.
Enforcing Your Boundaries
Having these clauses in your contract is one thing, but enforcing them is another. You must be willing to stand by your contract’s terms. When a client asks for more than what was agreed upon, requests faster turnaround times, or ignores your payment deadlines, point them back to the contract.
For example:
“I’d love to help with that, but as per our agreement, additional work outside the scope will require a new contract or an additional fee. Let’s discuss how we can proceed!” (Or you can also provide them with a proposal for the new/additional work).
This approach is professional, clear, and rooted in the agreement the client already signed.
As the “Boundaries Queen” of your business, your contract is a powerful tool for protecting your time, energy, and mental well-being. By crafting a thorough agreement that includes clauses for scope of work, communication boundaries, payment terms, revision limits, and termination policies, you set yourself up for success. Not only will this help you avoid overwhelm, but it will also ensure your client relationships are respectful, productive, and long-lasting.
If you're not sure where to start or you want to ensure that your contracts are legally sound and tailored to your unique business needs, that's where Contractista comes in. At Contractista, we offer attorney-drafted contract templates that are designed with specific niches in mind—whether you’re a virtual assistant, graphic designer, coach, consultant, or any other type of service provider. These templates are crafted to help you protect your business legally, set clear boundaries, manage client expectations, and protect your business from unnecessary stress.
Ready to become the Boundaries Queen of your business? Browse our collection of templates today, and find the contract that will help you create the professional and peaceful business you deserve. Protect your peace of mind and take control of your client relationships with Contractista!
