Sustainable Business Practices that last.

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Do you think that having more clients will solve most of your business (and lifestyle) issues?

If you ever say to yourself, “If only I had more clients, then everything would be okay. I could breathe, I wouldn’t feel so stressed, I’d be able to relax more, and I’d know that I was there… I just need more clients!”

In this video, I’ll tell you why having more clients isn’t necessarily the solution to your problems.

Yes, having financial security is a major stress, but the thing is that we really need to put it into perspective, right from the very beginning— or in the first few years at least— of your business. This is why it’s so important to start right. This means either making sure you have the right savings in place, or going more and more part time in your current job. Not to have the impression that there’s this overnight myth of success, and as soon as you work with a business mentor or someone else, in one or two or three months you can just quit your job and that’s it, you’re set. If it was that easy, then all of us would have done that as well!

A successful, sustainable business is about being in it for the long term

You’ve really got to commit to being in it for the long term. This means growing your business in a way that is comfortable and feels good to you. You need to have that security there so you can grow your business in a way that is sustainable.

So really what that means is that you need to commit now to how you want to feel and experience life and your business. And not to wait until you’ve earned a certain amount or you’re making a certain amount, but really to do that now.

You won’t ever have time for fun and life

The reason this is so important is because when you have more clients, you won’t have as much time, necessarily. Imagine now, you suddenly get 10 or 20 more clients. Depending on how many you already actually have, that may really fill your schedule! So if you haven’t already prioritized how you want to feel, the things you want to do, your leisure time, your hobbies, your freedom of time, and the lifestyle bit, you’re going to find yourself overwhelmed with clients. This means that you then can’t be of higher service to your existing clients, you don’t have time to create new programs, or you don’t have time to look at your business model and say, “okay, how can I actually make this work for me now” because you’re constantly being in catch up mode.

Also, what can happen when you’re in that mindset of, “I just need more clients and everything will be okay” is that you say yes to everyone– whether they’re your ideal client or not. And it can be really difficult to work with someone over the long term who is not your ideal client.

Try this for size instead

So the way around this is to look at your business model, look at your rates, and raise your rates, quite possibly. And if you’re still offering one off sessions or a packet of 3, start offering longer-term programs. Then you have your ideal clients and you can say yes to just your ideal clients, because they’re committing for the longer term at a higher rate with you. Then you’ve still got your free time; you need fewer clients to actually make that work for you.

So have a look at where you currently are and what you need to do to reach your financial target and your business target. And it may not be that you actually need more clients; it may be that you offer your services in a slightly different way from here on in.

Let us know in the comments below what you’re going to change in your business to really free up your time and at the same time, increase your income from your business.