Do you have a good system for your small business? Today I started working with a new client, who is a children’s book designer and publisher. She has plenty of clients and a good income already, but she was feeling very stressed and overwhelmed. She felt out of control, under stress with deadlines, and often even bullied by clients demanding more of her than she could handle. We quickly got to the bottom of things, and I realised what was missing: a good system for small business. These are three things you can do right now to feel more in control and less overwhelmed.
I feel like a broken record sometimes, but this stuff is VITAL: know your ideal client. If you don’t quite know whom you are marketing your offers to, you’ll either attract no one, or you attract the wrong people. With clarity around who you want to work with, you arm yourself with a lot of tools to make decisions on lots of things. You will find it easier to know whether someone will be a good fit, to start with. You also suddenly understand what type of content you should create in order for this type of client to book a call.
Create a good system for your small business
When we start out as new creative entrepreneurs, we often take on all the work we can get, as we simply need to pay the bills. But this also means that you end up working with people who are not valuing your time and effort. They may haggle you down, or put unrealistic demands on you, simply because they have hired you.
If you know what type of client is your dream client, you know when to say yes to a job offer. Not everyone is right for you, and you are also not everyone’s cup of tea. With clarity, and in time, you will be able to attract plenty of the right clients, and preserve the joy in your business.
Add a pre-call questionnaire
If you are a coach, a therapist, a photographer or a graphic designer (or any other service-based business), you will likely have some kind of booking system. This already a great first step in creating a good system for small business. People can schedule a first call with you, to enquire about your services. Instead of just offering your diary, I strongly recommend adding a pre-assessment form. Systems like Calendly already have this option. This doesn’t have to be complicated. Just add a few questions which will give you the information you need to already have a better idea of who you are dealing with.
If your gut feeling (always trust your gut feeling!) tells you this client means trouble, believe it. That doesn’t mean you cancel the call, because the person on the other end might be OK after all, but you feel more in control going into it. On the call, if your gut feeling still tells you the same thing, don’t say yes to this job or client, something better will come up. The more you practice this muscle, the easier it gets!
Creative entrepreneurs and setting boundaries
How do you deal with this in practical terms? If you are brave and honest, just tell it like it is, and say that you are probably not the right person to help them with what they are looking for. You may also choose to tell the client at the end of the call to have a think about what you have talked about, and give them a bit of time. This will also give you time to think, and either put in writing saying that you believe you are not a good fit for each other, or simply that your diary doesn’t allow for more projects right now. A little white lie, but it will gets you out of a contract with someone who will probably give you nothing but a headache down the line.
Make them sign a contract
To avoid all confusion about the scope of work, the process, the expectations between client and seller, and the time frames, I strongly advise you to set up a contract. That way, whenever a client starts to add more work, demand more of your time, or disputes something, you can point them to the contract. No need for conflict or arguments, they agreed and signed previously. This is an essential ingredient of having a good system for small business.
How do you set up a contract? Many platforms have this options built in. I use a coaching platform called Paperbell (this is an affiliate link, by the way), and it sends a PDF contract after someone purchases, and they sign it digitally. Very easy. There are also options within other platforms. If you use email system Zoho, for example, the software suite that’s part of it, offers you the option for invoicing and bookkeeping, but also for sending quotations and contracts. You can start for free with both of these platforms. Otherwise, create a contract and save it as a PDF. Send it via email and let them sign it themselves, using something like the Preview app.
Create a good system for small business
The word ‘system’ may sound very official, but you can see that it really is as simple as what I explained above. Clarity around who you want to work with, having a pre-meeting questionnaire, and getting clients to sign a contract with you. Clarity on all accounts. No confusion, no conflicts, no trouble down the line. What can you simplify in your business today?
Are you looking for a creative business coach?
I help creatives, coaches and other small businesses make more money doing what they love. Goal setting, strategies, systems and bucket loads of confidence and clarity. Interested to know more?
