Scope Document
"Can you also…?" The project grows. You're doing more for the same price. Scope creep kills profitability and scalability. A scope document is a written description of what's included in a project: deliverables, timeline, payment. It prevents scope creep and disputes. The client knows what they get; you know what you're not doing without a new agreement.
Same project, with and without scope. Without: "We'll do the strategy and see what comes up." Three months later you've done strategy, two workshops, and 10 "quick calls." With a scope document: "Deliverables: one positioning doc, one 90-day plan, two review calls. Timeline: 4 weeks. Anything beyond this is a change order or new project." Scope documents protect your margin and your time. They're the basis for productized service and value pricing—you're selling a defined outcome.
What's in. What's out. Timeline. Price. In writing.
How to write one
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Deliverables. What will the client receive? Be specific: "One 2-page positioning doc," "90-day launch plan with milestones," "Two 60-minute strategy calls." Not "strategy support" but concrete outputs.
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What's not included. "Additional workshops are a separate engagement." "Ongoing Slack support is not included; available as retainer." Stating exclusions prevents "I thought that was part of it."
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Timeline and payment. When will they get it? When do you get paid? Tie payment to milestones if it's a larger project. Clear terms reduce surprises.
What breaks
Scope that's too vague. "Strategy and support" isn't a deliverable. "One positioning doc and two review calls" is. The more specific, the better you can hold the line.
Saying yes to "just one more." The scope document only works if you enforce it. "That's a change order" or "we can add that as a separate project" is the response when they ask for more.