Every month we run through a series of questions to help you run your freelance business like a bigger business—“self-coaching” your way to better results and a better life. You can view a condensed version of this month’s coaching prompts here.
The worst thing about low-paying clients isn’t just their rates. It’s the space they take up—space you could be working with better clients, marketing your business, or even just living your non-business life.
But cutting the cord is easier said than done.
You need more than
just a decision. Sometimes you even need more than a strong marketing funnel. You need habits and a shift in mindset, and that’s what we’re covering this month.
Here’s the self-coaching questions we’ll be asking this CEO month...
- Am I signing in desperation?
- Am I asking why I took them on in the first place?
- Do I have a script and tactics to avoid spinning the block?
- Am I raising rates on the next client?
#3 Do I have a script and tactics to avoid spinning the block?
I’ve talked about it a bit, but 2023 was a rough year for me financially...honestly my first genuinely rough one since I started freelancing.
I figured out why (industry downturn, and some laxity in my marketing because of a couple of rough years emotionally)...but that still didn’t make it any easier to stay away from taking on business that just wasn’t the best for me.
Not only did I pick up a gig outside my field (startups), and pick up additional work from my literal lowest-paying client (more writing), I took on a project with a client type I’d said I was done with (an agency).
Looking back, I think it would’ve been easier if I’d had some ways to make saying “no” easier. A referral list (to pass work on), and a “bare minimum” check list would’ve gone a LONG way for me in staying focused.