If most professionals could go back in time to advise their past selves of the upcoming challenges they were about to face, they’d take the opportunity 100% of the time.
As we’ve talked to our clients about their business progression and growth, there is one commonality they wish they could go back and change. When they were just opening their doors and on-boarding their first clients, they said yes to everyone who was interested. There were no questions, or very limited conversations about who was a good fit.
After time and experience, it became clear that they had a handful of clients that ended up taking 2-3 times longer to manage than that of the average client. Once they did the math on how much time their staff was spending, they were losing money.
Entrepreneurs decide to go into business for themselves because they know they can offer an excellent value to a base clientele who will pay for their knowledge and expertise. When business owners stray outside their comfort zone just for the sake of adding a client, it’s counterproductive for them and the client, as they have to bend their systems and best practices into something unrecognizable. As a result, it takes them much longer to arrive at the same solution.
Have faith in who you are and what you have to offer. Your existing and potential clients will appreciate you taking the time to get to know them and the ins-and-outs of their business. Lastly, they will appreciate your honesty if you find you are not the very best fit for their needs.