The smallest project size, hour count, or contract length you'll accept, set to protect your time from work too small to be worth it.
A minimum engagement is your floor. It might be “$1,000 minimum per project,” “no bookings under two hours,” or “three-month minimum on retainers.” Below that line, the overhead of onboarding, communicating, and switching contexts eats any profit, so you simply don’t take the work.
For sellers, a stated minimum is a quiet but powerful filter. Tiny projects often demand the same emails, revisions, and admin as big ones while paying a fraction — and they crowd out room for better clients. Setting a floor doesn’t make you arrogant; it makes your calendar sustainable. State it up front so you’re screening out bad-fit inquiries instead of negotiating your way out of them later.
For buyers, a minimum engagement isn’t a slight — it reflects the real fixed cost of starting any project. If your need is genuinely small, look for someone who specializes in small jobs rather than pushing a pro below their floor.
The related lever for urgent small jobs is a rush fee; for ongoing work, a retainer with a minimum term. If you’re undercharging and drowning in tiny projects, it may be time to raise your rates and learn when to say no to a client.