7 Qualities of Highly Desirable Clients
When you are a business owner/freelancer, there is wonderful feeling of gratification when you land a great client. These are clients that ask great questions, respect our work and make us feel happy to have chosen the entrepreneurial route. Then there are the not so great clients who have unrealistic expectations, are unimaginative and often just plain clueless.
It should also go without saying that we must also do what it takes to be provide an excellent experience to our clients and customers. It is not dissimilar from being in a relationship with a partner or spouse and for both sides to get the most out of it, you as the service provider, must also be responsive, respectful, fair and transparent.
Employee vs. Self Employed: Criteria and Considerations
For the majority of income earners, employment status is pretty evident. If you are going to the same place every day, have an assigned cubicle with a computer and a corporate stapler, and you have a boss that tells you what you need to do, chances are you are an employee. Conversely if you have several clients, use your own laptop, and are worried about where your next sale is going to come from, you are probably self employed.
There are, however, some workers whose status is not that apparent. For example you may work from home and use your own computer, but you report to one entity, where someone supervises and directs your work. In these cases a determination needs to be made as to whether you are an employee or self employed. It is not enough for the person paying you to determine your classification ; often, payers are biased as they may not want to take on the financial costs and responsibilities of having an employee (explained below). As such, when in doubt about your status, it is helpful to answer the following questions:
The Importance of Breakeven Analysis for Business Owners
When embarking on your new business venture, one of the first and most important concepts that you will be introduced to is break-even analysis which, very simply, is the amount of revenues you need to generate to cover your direct and indirect expenses. A good grasp of this is essential for business owners since even businesses with significant sales revenues can incur losses if they are not able to cover their costs. While break even analysis tends to be used more for businesses that sell physical products, it can also help to the determine the price for services
Breaking Up with a (Likeable) Client
Many of us have clients who are annoying, cheap, stupid , high maintenance or some combination thereof. As a new business owner, we are often stuck with these clients because we need them. However, we look forward to the day when we will have the thriving business that we so deserve, and fantasize about the spectacular way in which are going to fire them (you can shove your business into your rear orifice etc.) This is actually a productive fantasy as can help to channel and concentrate anger. Of course, in the majority of cases, a firing should be conducted with slightly less vigour.