Are You Being Responsible in your Business?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by

Client Relationship ResponsibilityI recently had a discussion with a group of VAs and it was based around my policies that I have to work with my clients.

Policies are important, as we all know, so that everyone knows the ‘rules’ and it makes for a better working relationship — from clients to team members, and everyone else you might work with.

The thing that caught several people off guard is that I told them I delete my client emails after 60 days. I don’t keep their documents or information on my computer. Once it’s delivered to the client, I delete it.

Audible gasps were heard when I told them this.

Why would I do that? What if I needed something? How could I do that and feel comfortable with it?

It almost seems irresponsible. But in fact, it’s exactly the opposite!

I give the same answer each time. I am responsible TO my clients, not FOR them.

I do their work and I provide it back to them on deadline (whether it’s an email draft or a product launch). I am responsible to get them what I say I am going to get them.

I am not responsible to keep it for them forever and a day in case they need it.

I am responsible to make sure that they know where it is, and how to access it.

When things need to be kept or filed, we have collaborative places that I will put that stuff (like Dropbox, Google Docs, Central Desktop or whatever). I don’t keep it in a folder on my own computer – I email it to the client and/or upload it to the collaborative place where it needs to be – and then I remove it from my own computer.

Same thing with emails – if they are essential to keep (ie if they have information in them that needs to be kept long term), they get copied & pasted into a doc if necessary and uploaded to our collaborative places. Other than that, they don’t need to fill up my computer. The client is free to keep as much email as they want, but it’s my policy that once something is finished, it’s finished.

Now this system may not work for you – or it may send you into a panic or a frenzy! – but what it is meant to illustrate is that we are responsible to our clients to complete the work they need. We are not responsible to keep all of their business documentation – THEY are responsible to keep all of their stuff (whether in their own email, their own computer or a central location that is shared as mentioned).

The key here is that each of us is our own business owner, and we have to take responsibility for our own business as such. I keep most correspondence from my own VA. I don’t expect her to keep it herself – although we do work with Teamwork PM as a collaborative software – so all correspondence and documentation comes through that anyway. I can feel comfortable deleting my emails from her because I know they are already kept there.

This always turns into quite a discussion when I bring it up with other VAs – I would love to hear your take on it.

How are you doing things – are you being responsible TO or FOR your clients?

I’ll post this article on my Facebook page too – I’d love to see your comments on it! www.facebook.com/yourvamentor.

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Get More Done, Make More Money

Posted on May 8, 2013 by

Your VA Mentor: Schedule Your WorkAt the IVAA Live Summit I spoke about organizing & prioritizing your work. One of the pieces of my presentation was about organizing tasks so that you get more done each day.

When you are working as a support professional, it is easy to try to multitask and do many things at once, but there are all kinds of studies out there that show that multitasking is simply ineffective.

It’s much more efficient to focus on one task at a time, and complete it, and then move on to the next thing.

The way I handle multitasking in my daily routine is by batching my work – that is, collecting tasks that will done at one time and doing them at a specified time.

There are two ways you can plan to batch your work.

1. Do like tasks together. So, if you are doing copywriting or follow up or newsletters, pull everything you need together and then do one at a time until they are all complete. Then move on to another set of tasks. Doing like things at the same time is productive because you can get into a groove with the parts of the task, and make quick work of everything.

2. Do one client’s tasks together. I often work this way – planning to do a number of the same client’s tasks during a specific time. So, maybe I start with their newsletter and then update some autoresponders and do follow up emails or whatever the case may be. By focusing your time and effort on the single client for a period of time, you can manage your billing for that client more easily because you have a block of time that is billable, as opposed to doing many smaller things during the course of a day.

Either of these ways is more efficient than simply working from a task list and doing things one at a time.

When you manage your work in a manner that will allow you to be more productive, you not only get more done each day – but you will make more money in your business as well.

Get yourself organized and see for yourself!

How do you keep yourself organized during the day? I’d love to hear about it – share your ideas on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor.

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The Number 1 Reason You Don’t Have Enough Clients

Posted on April 24, 2013 by

I recently came across an old teleclass I did from 2010 – 3 Secrets to Get High Paying Clients to Call You – and as I listened to it I realize that this is really important information for you to have and practice – so I reran the class as a webinar, with a new Powerpoint presentation.

I speak with many VAs in my networking who are struggling to get clients – and though there are many reasons for this, there is one that is the most important … they don’t know who they can best support.

They haven’t figured it out. Is this you? If so, don’t worry – it’s easy to do … and it’s an absolutely essential piece of your business strategy.

Look at your service offerings. Is it a laundry list of everything you could possibly do for someone?

Look at the services you are currently offering to your clients. Are there similarities, or are you all over the map, doing one thing for one client but not others, etc.?

Look at your clients (past or present). Are they from the same industry? Do they provide similar services to their own clients?

Your answers to the above questions will tell you whether you are focused or not … and the answers to these questions all lead to one thing … a target market.

When you market your services to a specific, targeted group of people, you end up learning what they need – and tailoring your services accordingly (no more laundry list!). You end up doing just the things you are GREAT at (and love to do) each day, because you have a focused list of services that your clients need. You also end up with a terrific group of clients because when you get connected with a group of potential clients in the same industry, you get referrals!

A target market is one of the most important starting points for your marketing.

Select your target market. Then build the rest of your strategy around who you want to serve.

You can then determine what services to offer, what rates to charge, where to connect with them, and even what training or support needs you need for your own business.

Do you have a target market? I’d love to hear about it – share them on my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor.

And be sure to check out my free webinar www.yourvamentor.com/3secretswebinar

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Is Anyone Stomping on Your Boundaries?

Posted on April 17, 2013 by

I’ve been witness to some funny (weird, not haha!) situations lately that I wanted to share with you.

Lately I’ve been noticing that more and more things are making me go ‘huh?’

I sat back to reflect on several of those things – I’ll share some with you below – and I think what it boils down to is the sense of entitlement that people feel when they are spending money on something.

Let me explain.

When I spend money on a service provider or a training program or whatever, I have clear expectations of what I am getting for my money. You probably do too.

But lately what I am seeing is a trend of people that expect to push the boundaries of these purchases they are making, and I think it comes from a place of fear.

Here’s an example. I recently got sent a referral for a new client. I know this person and was excited to be able to have a conversation to see if I could help support her in her business. We had a great consult and she asked me how we proceeded. I laid it all out – and let her know I would send the contract and the retainer request and we could get started. Perfect, she said. She needed help right away. Then things got weird. She sent me the payment, but she didn’t sign and send back my contract. I asked for it but she still didn’t send it. When I explained that I couldn’t start the work without the signed contract, she got offended. She said she thought it was unfair to ask her to sign a contract before we knew how we worked together. In all of my years of running my small business, I have never heard that one. My contract does not lock you into a length of time to work together, it simply states that we will start to work together now, and I will do x and y and the client will pay z. Long story short, signing the contract was a deal breaker and I ended up returning her refund, and didn’t do the work.

My boundary is strong. No contract .. no work.  I didn’t get the client, but I am very happy with my decision!

Here’s another one. My coach clients run group programs fairly often. These programs have a set time frame – they run for 3 or 6 months or whatever. Often times they include private support either during the program or at the end. I structure my own programs the same way.  I am seeing a new trend of people who are not taking the boundaries of the programs seriously – they are getting behind in their work, for various reasons, and then they are asking for extensions for their input and connection to the coach. It’s one thing if you enrol late and you are playing catch up, but I am seeing many, many people just not step up to do the work, and then expecting the coach to help them out a month or more after the program ends.  One of my clients actually offers to have a coaching session within one year of purchase, and a fellow emailed to request a refund of the product price 13 months after he purchased, because he did not redeem his coaching session. Just weird, people!

I never have had to set a boundary like this before, but this is a good lesson to anyone setting up something like this – that access should be specified from this date to this date. I have seen it happen more than once recently, to several clients.

I guess the message here is clear – if you purchase something, be aware of the terms that you are agreeing to. If you are selling something, put boundaries and policies in place to be sure that the people who are purchasing from you have clear expectations.

There will always be strange situations take place like the ones I have described above, but the frequency with which I have seen these strange situations increase means to me that more detail needs to be added to conversations and contracts everywhere.

My guess is that most people are holding on to their money pretty tightly these days (and that’s their right!) but be sure not to let some of the ones who don’t read the fine print to step on your boundaries … because I guarantee if you let them, they will!

Do you have any strange client stories like these? I’d love to hear them – email me to share! tracey@yourvamentor.com

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Great Customer Service in Three Steps

Posted on April 10, 2013 by

Recently I have been noticing how I am treated as a customer when I am out shopping, dining, or even connecting with people online.

I have had some great experiences, and some not so great.

What makes good customer service? For one thing, it’s about recognizing the fact that without customers paying for your service, you would not have a business. Now that doesn’t mean ‘the customer is always right’, as the old saying goes, but it certainly weighs heavier since your success depends on keeping them happy.

Here are three easy steps to great customer service:

Keep Them Informed

One of the things that can make clients nervous or uneasy while working with someone virtually, is not knowing the status of their work. Keeping them informed about their details is something that is really easy to do, yet some VAs I know don’t do this regularly. Whether you check in via phone or email regularly, or send them status updates on an individual project, or just let them know that you received their email, keeping your clients informed and up to date is one of the simplest things you can do to give them great customer service.

When someone sends you a request by email, respond to them to let them know you got it. Be clear on when you will work on it or deliver the completed project. If that timeline is more than a couple of days away, send a check in email to let them know the status. By being proactive, they will be more confident working with you.

Be Proactive

A great asset to have (or learn!) as a VA is how to really invest your interest in your client’s business. When you are working with a particular industry, take an interest in what is happening in that industry – about trends that could improve their business, or even news within it. By taking an active interest in what they do, you can vastly improve your customer service experience with them.

Whether you set up a Google alert or join a couple of LinkedIn groups or Facebook pages, keep your eyes and ears open to things that could interest them. Doing so could allow you to expand your service offerings, just by letting them know a new way they can be reaching their own audience. Being able to bring new ideas to the table when you are strategizing with your clients can go a long way to building a long lasting relationship with them – and growing both of your businesses.

Be Their Partner

Don’t be a task completer. To be a successful VA, you want to be a partner with your client – not someone who just completes the tasks they send you each week. By stepping up your role to be their partner in business, you can do things like regular assessment of their projects or methods – to be sure that what they are having you do makes sense. Changing course is easy when you can identify where things are working and where they are not.

By looking at the regular tasks you are completing (ie newsletter production) and identifying whether the method is working – or if a new approach might be necessary – can go a long way in helping your customer’s business. Help them make sure that what they are doing is fresh and relevant. This type of input builds invaluable customer service for your clients – the type of thing that inspires your current clients to send you referrals!

It’s really quite simple to go above and beyond in the area of customer service. By implementing a few simple steps like these, you can really ramp up your service offerings for your clients – and by doing so, that helps both of you become more successful.

By remembering that your clients are the bread and butter in your business, and by taking a more active role in the relationship with them, you can really elevate your customer service.

I’d love to hear some of the things you do for your clients … visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

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How to Make Your Numbers Work For You

Posted on April 3, 2013 by

Colourful preschool numbersSite visits, opt ins, email opens, click throughs …

Since the first quarter of the year has gone by, I thought it might be a good idea to check in with you to see how your numbers are adding up.

Do you look at your numbers on a regular basis?

If you do, what kind of follow up do you do with them?

If you don’t, why not?

Checking things like your website visitors and your email opens is essential to make sure that your marketing efforts are working for you.

Going through the motions is not going to help you build your business.

Let’s look at a few key things you should be checking regularly:

Website visitors

How many people are visiting your website on a weekly or monthly basis? Is that number increasing? Decreasing? Staying the same?

How are you driving traffic to your website? What are people looking at when they get there?

These are all important things to consider. Obviously we want to have steady traffic being driven to our websites, and we want that number to constantly be increasing, but we also want to be sure that they are ‘doing what we want them to do’ when they get to our site.

If they are just browsing and leaving, you may need to work on your content. If your traffic is not consistently increasing, you may want to look at how you are driving people there (or what you are driving them to).

Once you have the site visitors, the next important thing is to make them do something – your calls to action come into play here.

Opt Ins

How is your website opt in working for you? Again, look at this from the numbers standpoint. How many people who visit your site are opting in for your free gift?

If this number is low, you may need to look at a new approach. If you have too many options when someone gets to your website, maybe you are confusing your visitors. You want them to see your opt in right away so they can take action. Maybe you need a squeeze page to increase your opt ins. Maybe you need a better freebie. Consider updating yours if you have had the same one for a while. Think value!!

Another piece to think of with opt ins is whether they are actively part of your list after they sign up. Are they opening your newsletters or your other correspondence? Are they being responsive?

Email Open Rates

When you send out an email, newsletter or blog broadcast, what percentage of your list is opening it? If you are not tracking your stats now, you definitely should be. One of the most important things to note is that your list is being responsive to what you are putting out to them.

You want to know that they are opening your emails (and looking forward to receiving them!). It’s your relationship building phase of your client relationship, and it’s important to be sure that you are providing them with content that is interesting and relevant. If they are not opening it, you are not engaging them.

You also want to see your open rate increasing steadily (or at least staying the same … never going down!). Sending quality content regularly and building your list steadily will help this!

Click Through Rates

Once you get them to open, are they clicking through to the things you put in your email? Opening an email is one thing, but again a very good gauge of what they think of your material is that they are clicking the links you put in it – to learn more, or to see what you recommend, or to take action if you ask them to.

Click rates are trackable and very important in email marketing. Be sure to provide your audience with great things to augment your regular emails, and you will see their responsiveness in your stats.

Making your numbers work for you really begins with looking at them. Then once you see the patterns, you can make specific changes to what you are putting out there, and increase your connectivity with your audience.

Increase your website visitors with more social media. Increase your opt ins with a better or new free offer. Increase your email open rates by sending really valuable content more regularly. Increase your click throughs by providing excellent resources for your audience.

I’d love to hear how your numbers look, and what you have done to help them work for you!… visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

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Got Stress? Here’s How to Relax

Posted on March 27, 2013 by

With spring in the air, a common topic is spring cleaning.

I started my own spring cleaning a couple of weeks ago when I downsized the piles and the storage in my office.

I moved on last week to cleaning out our clothes closets.

Spring seems to make you want to pull everything out and start with a new slate.

But it doesn’t have to be spring to do this kind of stuff. If you find yourself under stress for any number of reasons, getting tidied up and organized can really help you alleviate that.

Stress is one of those things that others point out to us. Not something that we often notice ourselves. Being a small business owner is sometimes like being a superhero (‘look at all the things I can manage!’). But it doesn’t have to be – and in fact, it shouldn’t be.

Look at your daily routine. If you are experiencing stress in one or more of these areas, it could be time to spring clean your approach.

If you have too much client work, you could be under a lot of stress to complete it. Look around your desk. Is it organized? Are your projects and files organized? Sometimes when we get too busy, even just for a short period, it can really take its toll on us if our surroundings are not in order. If you are running around and feel like you are not organized, it’s time to stop for just a few minutes and get everything in its place. Think about what you need to help you approach your client work more easily, and put it in place. Often it’s just getting things filed away on our computer or our paper files that helps us feel better.

If you don’t have enough client work, you could be under a lot of stress to find work. Look at your follow up system. How are you plotting your strategy there? If you are not organized enough to have people that you are networking with and planning follow up with, you could be causing yourself more stress than you need. Get things in place. How many clients do you need? Where are they? How much contact do you have with them? How many people can you schedule sales conversations with (that’s where the clients come from!) Put a plan in place to reach out to  ‘x’ number of potential clients each day (my favourite number is 2 – easy to do!) and you will be well on your way to new clients in no time.

If you are having a hard time managing your team or your books or your marketing, look at the support system you have in place in your business. Is it too much physically for you to handle? Or do you just need a better system? As we get busier and more successful, it’s essential to realize that we can not keep doing all of the management pieces ourselves. At some point it’s necessary to either outsource projects (like bookkeeping) or bring on support (like a project manager) or seek advice (for marketing). Look at your business objectively and decide what you need to do to help yourself be more successful.

For more tips on getting inspired to spring clean your business, listen to this free audio that I’ve put together for you:

10 Tips To Spring Clean Your Business

Enjoy!

I’d love to hear if you have been hit by the spring cleaning bug … visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

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3 Steps to Organizing Your Business

Posted on March 20, 2013 by

When you start to work virtually, you quickly realize that organization is a key skill that will become very important in your daily schedule.

If you have come from a corporate background, you are generally working under one supervisor or ‘boss’, and priorities can sometimes be set by the individual you report to.

Once you own your own business, this completely changes. You are now responsible to each and every client – and you are the one who has to be able to juggle the tasks and priorities of each of them. It can be difficult if you don’t have a system in place to keep things organized.

Here are three keys to getting and staying organized in your business:

1. Organize Yourself

Organizing yourself is more than just keeping track of what you have to do from day to day. You have to think about your office setup and making sure that your work station is optimized ergonomically, and you need to set a system in place to be sure that you are maximizing your time. Don’t get lost in endless hours of social networking! You also need to consider what types of software or online systems you need to run your business successfully. By making sure you look at all of these areas, you will equip yourself to bring other people (ie clients!) into your business.

2. Organize Your Work

Next up is organizing what you do, or what you will do every day. It is essential to put systems and procedures in place for everything you do. The earlier you can get this done, the easier it will be to update and manage. Systems help everything in your business. You are better able to quote accurate pricing for potential clients if you know what your ‘expenses’ are (ie how long it takes you to do a particular task). You can easily bring on subcontractors or other help when you get busy. You can develop specialized areas of support when you see how all of your pieces fit together. Time management is also a key part of organizing your work. Systems and procedures are the backbone of a successful business, period.

3. Organize Your Clients

Every client you will work with will feel that their work is the highest priority on your schedule. There are times when this is true for each of your clients, but it’s not always true for all of them. Prioritizing what you need to get done, and letting your clients know when to expect the task to be completed, is one of the fine juggling acts you probably encounter on a daily basis. Organize your clients by giving them solid communication and project tracking. Never let them wonder what is going on at any stage of a task or project. Keep them informed, and you will have a great relationship with them. Boundaries are a big part of this step. You need to set boundaries and stick to them. Everyone will be happier in the long run if things are made clear.

It’s easy to break organization down into three easy pieces like this – but remember there are many moving parts within each of those areas. The more you focus on each of these three ways to stay organized, the easier it will be on a daily basis.

I’d love to hear how you stay organized – visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

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10 Tips to Help You Include Down Time in Your Life

Posted on March 13, 2013 by

One of the places that many small business owners get trapped in is the ‘working all the time’ syndrome. It is a big job to run your own business, and there is no question there is always something that needs doing.

But if Jack Nicholson taught us anything, it’s that all work and no play is not a good thing. You can’t bring your best brain and your best attitude to your business unless you are certain to make time to step away from it to recharge.

By taking time for yourself – whether it’s to physically care for yourself, or just to do something that inspires you and lifts your spirits, ‘down time’ is a great thing to be sure to put on your schedule often … every day if possible.

Here are 10 things you can schedule as down time, that will refresh and recharge you so that you can bring your full and happy self to your business:

  1. Go for a walk - taking a fifteen minute break can be very beneficial when you head outside for a brisk walk. You can focus and concentrate on being away from your computer and your office. Take the dog, or take your iPod – just get out there! If you can schedule a walk into your schedule regularly, you will reap even better benefits than just a quick break!


  2. Read something – sit outside or in a quiet place in your home and read something that has nothing to do with business. It can be a magazine, a book, a newspaper or even your mail (but not the bills!). By diverting your thoughts from what is on your task list to something unrelated to work, you give it a well-deserved break. I love my Kobo and my smartphone for this too!


  3. Get some body work done - There is nothing that will make you feel like you are taking some serious ‘me time’ like getting a massage. Regular body work should be a staple for any small business owner. It helps you relax and it’s all about you! If you don’t have a massage therapist nearby, consider using the Internet for some great yoga or Pilates routines that can help to relax you also.


  4. Volunteer - Volunteering is one of the ultimate ‘feel good’ things you can do outside of your business. Find an organization, big or small, that needs volunteers on a regular basis, or on a special occasion basis, and get involved. Being a volunteer in any capacity is a great way to give to your community or your favourite causes, but it’s also a great boost to the self esteem. When you feel good, you present yourself better and that comes through in every area of your life.


  5. Take a day off - You deserve it! If you are one of those people who does a little bit (or a lot!) of work each day of the week, schedule a day off. Plan ahead to be sure that you are not worried about being away for the day. Make a point of not going near your office or email for the whole day. This can be difficult, but once you do it, you will find that it is so helpful to clear your mind, and you will soon be able to do it every week!


  6. Meditate or use hypnosis – Several months ago I started using a hypnosis audio when I go to sleep at night – just 20 minutes of relaxing audio. I can’t believe the difference in everything I do. I wake up relaxed and calm, I sleep better, and I have many more physical issues (like hair fall) that have simply disappeared. I know it’s due to the reduction of stress, and I highly recommend calming your mind to experience the same. If you can’t get into meditation or hypnosis, just find a quiet place and breathe for five minutes. Clear your mind and relax. It’s just as effective!


  7. Pay your bills - There is nothing like taking care of an unpaid bill to make you feel better (really!). Many people suffer from anxiety and stress from leaving things undone. Do whatever you can to bring your overdue bills up to current, and even set up a prepayment schedule so you can have your bills paid on autopilot. It feels great!


  8. Laugh - Whether you call a friend or family member, or watch a funny movie, do something that makes you laugh. Laughter is a great stress reliever and can help with all kinds of things. Carry your positive feelings forward after you laugh. After all, it’s infectious, and it really does make everything better.


  9. Make a vision board - When you focus on what you want to achieve in your personal life, you can really focus on how you need to get there in your business life. By building a poster sized vision board that you can hang in your office, you allow yourself to dream and think about the things you want to do in life. Clip out magazine pictures or images from the Internet. Use lots of words and great pictures, and you will inspire yourself when you sit back down at your desk, to achieve that vision


  10. Unplug - You had to know I’d include this. In this age of technology, many of us are guilty of being plugged in all the time. If it’s not the computer, it’s the television or the laptop or the smartphone. Shut it down and just enjoy the silence for a while. It’s unusual for some, but it really does help improve the quality of your downtime. Try it!


By taking just a little bit of time for yourself, in any way that fits into your daily or weekly schedule, you will rejuvenate your mind and body. Taking care of yourself is important at any stage of life, but when you are running your own business it is easy to burn the candle at both ends at times. By consciously taking time away, you will feel better and you will be healthier.

And don’t forget to schedule that time in your calendar! It’s easy to forget about yourself, and it’s important to schedule yourself in, just as you schedule in your clients, so you don’t forget about yourself!

Let me know how you are scheduling down time in your business – visit my Facebook page: www.facebook.com/yourvamentor

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How to Fire a Client

Posted on March 6, 2013 by

So I had another interesting ‘case’ last week. I fired a client. Not the first one I’ve fired, and I’m sure won’t be the last, but this one brought with it an interesting experience that I thought I should share with you.

The client was a referral last year. When we initially started working together, communication was sketchy. I noticed that this client would tend to get very upset when anything went wrong. If there was an error made by any member of the team, the curses flew (yep, she openly swore) and the relationship with the offending team member fizzled quickly and she usually found a way to fire them. Bottom line, she wasn’t my ideal client, but we made it work.

Over the course of almost a year, I watched her fire 5 team members of various capacities. High expectations are okay, but that seems like a lot to me. Anyway, we got into a system and worked quite well together.

So … fast forward to beginning of February. I made a mistake in a detail of an email that was sent out. She got pretty mad. She copied other team members on a snarky email to me. Yep, she swore. Childish, I thought, but okay. Although the email had gone by the eyes of five other team members, I was the last line of defence (and the one who pushed ‘send’) … so I apologized. Again.

Communication got patchy again, and what she did send was curt.

So 3 weeks after the offensive email, I decided it wasn’t work my effort to try to make her happy again. It just wasn’t working. I sent her an email and told her just that. Usually I ask for a phone meeting, but I knew in this case that was not going to make it into her calendar.

I was kind and I explained the reasons in detail. I offered double my transition time to help her bring on someone new.  I would never leave a client stuck, no matter how badly I want to stop working with them.

The next morning I logged in to see her reply to my email – and she had shut me out of all of her systems … changed all the passwords. I laughed right out loud. It was exactly what I expected her to do. It was a relief, even though I have never had that happen to me before!

She was billing 20 hours a month with me, but it didn’t matter. I felt great! I have lots of other people I can call to work with that will be able to make up that revenue, and it has been a terrific week doing just that. I already have one new client on board, and have a new monthly project from an existing client.

So … the lesson here is simple. You teach people how to treat you. I say that all the time. What did I learn? To follow my instincts and not let someone treat me the way I wouldn’t treat anyone else.

Need quick tips on how you can fire a client? Here’s what I did:

1. Document reasons you want to stop working with someone. Make sure they are valid reasons – but remember that personality conflicts can also be huge factors.

2. Respectfully bring the issues to the client’s attention (several times) so they know there is something wrong. Don’t keep it to yourself. They truly may not know what you are thinking.

3. Consult with someone before you make your decision. That could be a colleague, an accountability partner or a spouse or whatever. Explain the details of the situation and make sure you are reading the situation correctly.

4. Ask for a phone meeting with the client, or send an email (whatever works!)

5. Offer notice based on your signed contract with the client. Offer more if you feel the situation warrants it. Don’t leave anyone stuck.

6. After you fire a client, replace them immediately. That means you need to pick up the phone and call your network to replace them!

As a business owner, you get to choose who you work with. There is no reason to work with someone that doesn’t fit your style. It can be hard decision to make but there really are many other people just waiting for your call.

Have you ever had to fire a client? I’d love to hear your stories too! Email me at tracey@yourvamentor.com.

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