Running your own business can be fun, but dealing with clients can be ... weird and frustrating. It can also make you forget why you set up the business in the first place as a client can lead you down an increasingly thorny path until you realize this was not destination to which you intended to travel.
At that point, you have to decide which way you want to go.
1. You can grit your teeth and hack your way through the brambles until you reach the end, swearing up and down that you will never walk this path again.
2. You can promptly turn around and walk back, never knowing what awaited you at the end of the path, but deeming it not to be worth the hassle.
3. You can recognize you've been on this path before, but this time, this time, you'll make it through the jungle because you're smarter and wiser now.
I've been down this path a few times and I'm now faced with it again. Fortunately, another person (who, by his actions, is far wiser than me) has shown me that I must walk away. This new potential client first approached me by asking for my writing services, but is now wanting webdesign, technical support, and account management services. And he has the audacity to nickel and dime me on the rate (which he verbally agreed to weeks ago, saying that we didn't need to sign a contract on it because we were honorable men).
Argh.
I'm an honest guy and I try to be an honest businessman. I want to offer my clients the best product I can deliver, whether it's storytelling, biographies, or technical writing and quite frankly, the quality of my work is equal or superior to the cost. I want to be fair, generous, and flexible when it comes to my client's needs and requests, but I do have limits.
It's time to stand by those limits. It's time to walk away.
To make myself feel better, I've been re-watching Kevin Smith talk about writing the Superman script. It's reassuring to know that even greats like Smith have to face dumb clients.
At that point, you have to decide which way you want to go.
1. You can grit your teeth and hack your way through the brambles until you reach the end, swearing up and down that you will never walk this path again.
2. You can promptly turn around and walk back, never knowing what awaited you at the end of the path, but deeming it not to be worth the hassle.
3. You can recognize you've been on this path before, but this time, this time, you'll make it through the jungle because you're smarter and wiser now.
I've been down this path a few times and I'm now faced with it again. Fortunately, another person (who, by his actions, is far wiser than me) has shown me that I must walk away. This new potential client first approached me by asking for my writing services, but is now wanting webdesign, technical support, and account management services. And he has the audacity to nickel and dime me on the rate (which he verbally agreed to weeks ago, saying that we didn't need to sign a contract on it because we were honorable men).
Argh.
I'm an honest guy and I try to be an honest businessman. I want to offer my clients the best product I can deliver, whether it's storytelling, biographies, or technical writing and quite frankly, the quality of my work is equal or superior to the cost. I want to be fair, generous, and flexible when it comes to my client's needs and requests, but I do have limits.
It's time to stand by those limits. It's time to walk away.
To make myself feel better, I've been re-watching Kevin Smith talk about writing the Superman script. It's reassuring to know that even greats like Smith have to face dumb clients.