COMPANY · WHAT WE DECLINE
Publishing what we will not do, in full
A declined category is a boundary stated before a project starts, not a surprise partway through it. Publishing the list means a prospective client can check it themselves in a minute, rather than finding out by asking and hoping the answer is yes.
Declining a category of client outright is a cost with no offsetting benefit beyond being able to stand behind the list, which is exactly why it is rule six of the practice standard rather than a preference.
DECLINED OUTRIGHT
Regardless of budget
No exceptions made for the size of the project.
- Gambling
- Lottery
- Tobacco
- Alcohol
- Pyramid schemes
- Counterfeit goods
- Pornography
- Elective cosmetic surgery
- Intimate apparel and adult products
Reconstructive surgery after injury is the one exception and is accepted, distinct from elective cosmetic work.
HANDLED DIFFERENTLY
Banks, insurers and financial institutions
Not declined outright, scoped narrowly instead.
No day-to-day operational systems and no lead generation for banks, insurers or financial institutions. Data sharing and cybersecurity cooperation remain possible, a narrower scope than a full refusal.
ZERO TOLERANCE
Money laundering, misleading products, fake digital goods
If discovered mid-project, work stops.
These are not scoped around or negotiated. If any of them are discovered once a project is already underway, work stops at that point regardless of what has already been billed or delivered.