The Client You Should Have Fired Six Months Ago

There’s a client sitting in your ledger right now who’s costing you more than they’re worth. And if you’re honest with yourself, you already know exactly who it is.

Maybe they pay late every single time. Maybe they take up half your week for a tenth of your profit. Maybe every renewal turns into a renegotiation, and somehow you always end up giving ground.

Most directors keep clients like this out of habit, or fear, the fear that replacing the revenue is harder than tolerating the pain. That fear usually costs more than it saves.

Here’s a simple test. Look at your top ten clients by time and energy, not by turnover. If you were starting the business again from scratch today, would you take that client on? If the honest answer’s no, they’re not a client anymore. They’re a subscription you forgot to cancel.

Letting go doesn’t have to be dramatic. Sometimes it’s just raising the price to where the relationship makes sense again, and letting them decide whether to stay.

So here’s today’s action. Look at your client list properly, not the turnover column, the energy column. Find the one that’s quietly draining you. And decide, this week, what you’re going to do about it.

If there’s anything I can ever do to help you or your business, you know where I am.