Are you in control of your clients? Or are they in control of you?

by Nick Usborne

Many of us choose the freelance life because we really don’t like working in an office and having a boss.

We do like the idea of working for ourselves, making our own choices and living life according to our own schedules.

Of course, once you start getting some work coming in, you’ll never be in complete control.

You have to work to reasonable deadlines. And there are times when one of your clients asks for a rush job.

However, you need to keep a tight grip on the reins and stay in control.

In my own experience, there are a couple of things that can lead to you ending up with a “boss”, even when working for yourself.

#1 – When one of your clients takes up too much of your time

There have been times when I have said no to large and very profitable offers, simply because the workload would be too great.

That’s not to say that I wouldn’t have been able to make time to do the work.

The problem is that I would find myself devoting maybe three quarters of my time to working for that one client.

And when that much of your income is dependent on just one client...you suddenly have a boss.

When they ask you to do something, you say yes...even if you would rather say no.

When they ask you to put in some time over the weekend, you say yes.

When they ask you for a discount on the next project, you say yes.

You say yes because seventy five percent of your income is tied up with that one client.

I never allow myself to get into that position. I choose and manage my clients so that no one company represents more that thirty or forty percent of my income.

I may take on some large individual projects from time to time.

But I never put myself in the position where I can’t afford to say no.

#2 – When even smaller clients make unreasonable demands

Small clients can become your boss as well.

Some companies and individuals are a pleasure to work with, and some are not.

From time to time you may find you have a client who makes unreasonable demands – in terms of pricing, deadlines or some other aspect of the relationship.

When that happens to me, a red light starts flashing in my head and I think, “This guys is sounding more and more like a bad boss.”

And then I sever the relationship.

Again, I never put myself in a position where I cannot afford to turn my back on any one client.

As soon as you do that, you are no longer in control of your clients. They are in control of you.

And suddenly you have a boss again.

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