It’s Good Business to Fire Bad Clients
Remove the bad worms before they eat your time and profits
I’ve had my share of bad clients. I’ve learned the hard way that as an entrepreneur, project boundaries should be written upfront and signed by both parties. Even so, bad clients will find you.
It’s easy to suck it up when the alternative is turning away the work or fearing that you might miss out on a paycheck. I had this mindset for a very long time, and looking back, knowing what I know now, parting ways was the best option.
It may sound counterintuitive, but I know from experience it is not. I watched my profits increase, and my level of stress decrease after firing my bad clients.
Let me explain. On an average week, self-employed workers only have about 30–32 hours of billable time. If one or more clients take up most of that negatively, they’re eating away at your profits. Let’s say you’re charging your client, Butter, Toast & Jelly, and your other client, Doo-doo On A Stick, $1000 for the same 2-hour job. If Butter, Toast & Jelly understands the value of your skill, your experience, and sticks to your agreement, the work goes…
