You Run Your Business, Not Your Clients

Today, I want to iterate a piece of very simple advice that you’ve probably heard before… YOU run your business, NOT your clients.

In my own business, sometimes I have encounters with clients where I…

• Will still take a client if they are 10-minutes late to their appointment because I will FEEL bad if I don’t.
• Will waive a clients late-cancellation fee because I will FEEL guilty if I run their credit card.
• Will book a client in myself without asking them to book online because I will FEEL like I am inconveniencing them.

I know I’m not the only one who will sometimes do anything to appease a client and go the extra mile (when I really don’t need to). I know I’m not the only one who will sometimes allow clients to overstep the boundaries that I have set in place as business policies. I know I am not the only one who will sometimes put every single need of every single client before my own.

It’s exhausting. It’s draining. It takes an emotional, mental, and physical toll.

If you, too, find yourself falling into the emotional traps that running a business can entail… IT. STOPS. TODAY.

I want you to regain your control as a business owner. I want you to set clear business boundaries in place in the form of policies. I want you to take the emotion out of abiding by the rules set forth by your business. I say business, because we’ve got to stop with bringing our personal feelings into our business decisions. The moment we allow our emotions to make decisions is when we allow outside factors to assist in facilitating those decisions (aka your clients!)

Here’s a few ways you can overcome these emotional hurdles and get back to YOU running your business and NOT your clients:

1. Learn To Start Saying “No” | Ah, this ones hard… Isn’t it? In reality though, the hardest part is just saying the simplest of words – No. That client that arrives 10 minutes late to their appointment? Nope, can’t see them. That client that wants you to waive their late cancellation fee? Nope, that slot could’ve been filled for full-price. That client that wants you to book them in instead of doing it themselves? Nope, that is time taken away from other important aspects of running the business. Once you realize that these types of clients do not respect you, your time, or your business – You’ll learn that saying “No,” will save your sanity and allow you to focus more on clients who DO serve your business best.
2. It’s A “Business” Policy, Not A “Personal” Policy | Ever have a client that cancels their appointment 15 minutes before the start time and begs you to not charge them? Yep, we’ve all been there. Remember, it’s not YOUR decision to charge them or not, it’s a policy of the BUSINESS. (PS: This is just ONE more reason why you should have an online booking system that will “automatically” do the above for you!) Your business has boundaries that protect you – Enforce them!
3. Look At Metrics + Analytics | Hard numbers can often put a situation in perspective and keep emotions off the table. The few clients that want you to keep your current membership structure, but it hasn’t been performing well? Sorry, but those three members aren’t producing much revenue and it’s apparent your business needs to make a change. By looking strictly at numbers, this can help you to determine where your business excels as well as what aspects might need a little improvement.

By implementing just these few things, watch your business transform from being a client caretaker to a well-respected and valued business. Get back to running your business and not letting clients influence your every decision.

I believe in you, Bronze Boss!