As a business owner, it’s important to remember that not everyone is an ideal client for YOUR business. It can be hard to willingly walk away from money, but many times it is necessary. Sometimes it can be for legal or ethical issues and sometimes it can be purely because that client, who you thought would be great, is literally sucking the life out of you.

If that last part got you; your life is literally being sucked out of you, I would think about why.  Is it a client’s behavior that you haven’t tried to stop, and you should?  Is it a client’s behavior that you have tried repeatedly to stop and were unsuccessful?  If you haven’t tried to stop the behavior, I challenge you to make it a priority this week to work to make the business relationship one that you enjoy.  If you have tried over and over again unsuccessfully, I would think about why you’ve been unsuccessful and determine what your next best step is.  If you conclude that it’s time to walk away, just do it.  Don’t continue to operate your business and life with the dreadful feeling of working with these hard to handle clients. 

For us, we feel like it comes down to respect. Clearly, your client doesn’t respect you, but do you respect yourself?   A person’s disrespect for you probably isn’t anything personal.  It could be the way they handle all their relationships.  But it can still feel personal. If you are like us, you are working to build a business AND life you love.  Don’t allow others to sabotage that goal.  

If it was the ethical part in the opening that got you then you have more to think about.  We all know about the importance of your reputation when you’re running a business.  As a matter of fact, it is your most important currency.  What I think people don’t realize, is just how that reputation can be harmed.  This is especially the case with service-based companies in industries heavy on legal compliance.  Like it or not you can become linked to the bad activities of your clients. 

This can sometimes mean having to walk away from a potential client or dropping an existing one.  Since opening our business, we have had to make these tough choices on several occasions.  Each time the decision was made it felt like a weight was lifted.  And each time we were able to quickly replace the lost revenue.  There is something with freeing up our time from dealing with clients that aren’t ideal that opens the opportunity to move on and find new clients that are looking for a mutually beneficial relationship.

These sorts of decisions can be extremely difficult, especially for businesses looking to get started, but you always must keep an eye on the long term.  Clients that don’t follow the law can drag you down, even if you are not actively helping them to evade the law.  Your connection to their operation can immediately place you under suspicion if they are investigated.  This can cost you hours of lost time by being interviewed or having to turn over documents.  Under worse circumstances you can be accused of wrongdoing yourself, costing you even more in legal fees.  Even if your name is cleared, your reputation might not be. 

We know it is difficult to walk away from the money, but money can be more easily recovered than reputation.  Once people view you as someone that cannot be trusted, then it is time to close up shop.  Your willingness to make these tough decisions will have a direct effect on your long-term success.

Give yourself permission to walk away from these relationships. I promise you will be better for it!

Have you had a similar situation?  Leave a comment and tell us how you handled it. 

~ Brandon & Christi are successful business owners who enjoy traveling and making a mess in the kitchen with their two daughters.