when to say no

I found this article interesting, especially since this morning I turned down a job based on the fact that I have to respect my client & their business in order to do a great job for them.

Here is what Bruce Mau has to say on saying no.

Sidebar: When to Say No to a Client

Bruce Mau Design Inc. is almost entirely free of regimentation. Its managers do have one system, though, which they use to decide whether to take on a project. "Our work defines who we are, so we like to choose our projects in a considered way," says Bruce Mau. Below, he describes his "Four Ps" checklist.

People: "Every project boils down to spending time with the client. If its people are good, you can overcome any problem. If they're bad, every problem will seem twice as big."
Project: "Is the project adventurous? Would it provide new opportunities for learning?" BMD doesn't do any marketing, so its body of work attracts new clients. Knowing that, Mau and his team are reluctant to do work in industries or domains that they think are creative dead ends.
Profit: "We need to make money on everything that we do in order to sustain the business, whether it's a project for an art gallery or a multinational corporation."
Plate: "How much do we have on our plate?" BMD has only 20 full-time employees, and a tight network of freelancers and contractors. Mau is wary of trying to expand the size of his firm too quickly; he thinks carefully about how new work will affect the group.