Sometimes we find that clients have a hard budget, meaning that they simply cannot spend more than a certain amount on the project. This can make things difficult for a number of reasons. Revisions have to be decreased, functionality scaled back, and bells and whistles left out. The project still needs to be done in a professional way since it ultimately has our name on it. Possibly the most important aspect of working within a budget is that customer (site owner) expectations need to be managed.

Working with a hard budget means that we need to work backwards to decide what type of features are included and what is excluded. Flexibility is needed by both the site owner and the developer since the project plan can shift. The reason this occurs is that different parts of the project can take more or less time than anticipated. The most important part of the process is that both the developer and the site owner focus on the most important aspects of the project.

Establishing the client’s vision and understanding the client’s expectations up front is a necessity in any project, but even more so with a budget restricted one. The project will fail miserably if developer and client do not communicate effectively.

By managing both the customer’s expectations and budget the final result is a win win for client and developer.

It has taken a long time to be comfortable working within a hard estimate and it does take a long time. Many other developers would balk at doing such a thing, and it is understandable. Sometimes the developer’s quote and the client’s budget are just way too far apart. Don’t be afraid to stay away from these types of projects and always communicate clearly and politely with the customer. By maintaining a professional attitude, you may find that the client will return once their budget increases.