Whew, this month has flown by! I've had an order to rebuild three websites from an existing client, a lovely guy I've done work for for around 9 years now who is an employment law specialist. This is the second time I've redesigned his websites - or is it the third!? - and the first one is up now at mercurylaw.com.au. I'm currently working on the other two.
Interestingly, I also have as clients two other legal firms which specialise in employment law. I'll be building a new site for one of them soon, giving it a facelift and making it more dynamic and social media-centric.
Being in this position, with three clients who are effectively rivals but deal with their marketing and media in different ways, means that I have to be trusted by all three of them. If one of them sees something on another's site and wants something similar on their own, fair enough. But I keep my confidences between my individual clients, and protect their IP as best I can with the sites I build for them. It could be a conflict of interest, but because I treat all my clients with the respect they deserve, it isn't.
I manage the admin and events for two Chambers of Commerce, both of which operate in a similar geographical area. They have some members in common and realistically (and more contentiously) potential members in common. Again, I keep each of them and their strategies separate from the other. I also help a third Chamber of Commerce just over the river with its website (which I didn't design, but which I help maintain).
Keeping the confidences of your clients increases the chances of your keeping their business. Being honest and stating that you already work with other firms in the same industry puts your status in the open, and it's up to your clients and potential clients to feel comfortable in your handling of their IP.