Freelancers need to occosionally say no.

As a freelance web developer I often find myself wrestling with morals.

Should I work for a client with obvious or even questionable morals ?

Should I help a client promote a product or service I wouldn't recommend to a friend ?

Should I provide what the client is asking for even though I know it will detract from their web site's search engine performance ?

While it's been hard at times, I am getting better at firmly yet respectfully declining jobs. Of course I still need to eat, but luckily the majority of clients I've worked for in the past call on me again when the need arises.

It wasn't always like this. When I first started freelancing I'd take work where I could get it and learned the lessons the hard way. Sometimes you just have to say no thank you.

Think about it. If a potential client has you write something that essentially helps him commit fraud or theft you are just as guilty as they are. It really is worth it in the long run to avoid those types of jobs.

I've also had to reluctantly pass on work promoting products or services I simply see no market for. I'll have no part in assisting a would be entrepreneur on their way to bankruptcy.

Finally there is the inflexible client insisting they have feature XYZ added, rejecting advice that feature XYZ won't help them, or might even ruin their business (like get them removed from the Google index) When a potential client is this inflexible I take that as my cue to gracefully decline. Several times they've looked me up again, essentially saying I was right, this didn't help,
and can I help them remove it.

Of course it's hard to be picky as a freelancer just starting out, but over time I hope everyone will learn from my experiences.

When considering a project, ask yourself whether it actually benefits the client as well as their respective clients. If the answer is no suggest alternatives. If the client won't budge on their specifications, it's probably best to move on.