Knowledge catalogue / Sales & clients
The fear underneath every one of these moments is the same: if I push back, they'll leave. Most owners are afraid of the wrong thing.
Scope creep, an overrun, a dispute over what was agreed: the reflex is to absorb it to keep the peace. But absorbing cost doesn't buy goodwill, it trains the client that boundaries don't hold. A line held calmly and early is reassurance. A boundary that only appears once you're already resentful is what actually damages the relationship. The clients worth keeping respect a professional who is clear about how they work.
Before you swallow a cost to keep a client happy, ask what it teaches them about next time. If the answer is "that I'll always absorb it", the kind thing and the commercial thing are the same.