Ask Should freelancers refuse projects with poor profit margins?

[Edward22]

Not every project that comes in is worth the time it takes to complete, especially when the payment barely covers the actual effort involved. Some freelancers accept low paying jobs just to stay busy or to keep a client relationship alive for future opportunities. Others believe this habit only trains clients to expect cheap work and makes it harder to raise rates with the same client later on. Should freelancers simply turn down projects that offer poor profit in return?