I launched RocketGirl nearly six years ago. Before that, I had a long history of working in corporate America (like 25 years!).

Back then, whether true or not, I always believed that to be successful in the corporate world I needed to work on whatever projects my manager gave me and with whomever was part of that project. I didn’t always like it, but it seemed to me that I had no other options.

In the corporate world, and from what I see now that I’m on the “outside,” not much has changed.

What surprises me, though, is how many solo professionals operate with this same mindset. In my experience, nothing could be further from the truth.

A couple of weeks ago I was having lunch with my friend, Susan, who has operated her own business for more than 10 years. So what she said to me was a surprise: “We all have those clients, you know… the one’s we don’t like to work with.” I smiled and said, “You don’t need to… and I don’t.”

She was very surprised to hear me say that and I think for a moment she thought I was kidding. But then I went on to explain that I don’t work with people I don’t like being with, nor do I accept work I don’t enjoy. Period.

Naturally, she asked how. Here’s what I said…

1. Be Choosy. Before I start working with a new client I consider a few questions:
   • Who referred them and how much do they know about what I do (the more the better)?
   • How easy is it for me to communicate with them and understand what they’re saying?
   • Do I like doing the work they want me to do?
   • What does my gut say?

2. Know when to walk away. It rarely happens, but sometimes a client is just not a good fit. If you find yourself in this situation, decide how long you’re willing to work with them, look at the commitments you’ve made to the project and figure out an exit strategy.Do you need to offer a refund? Sometimes. But in my book, that’s a small price to pay. Whatever you do, be clear, polite and check your emotions at the door. Keep the conversation professional and move on.
3. Don’t worry about the money. Easier said than done, I know. But remember that a “bad client” comes with costs. If you’re aggravated or irritated, you’ll work less, feel worse and earn less money.Believe me, I’ve tested this. I had a client who represented 30% of my revenue – but 95% of my aggravation.  We parted ways and within a month I was able to make up the difference.  And because I was happier (and more careful about who I work with) I was able to grow my business an additional 30% within a few months. Plus, the people around me (Greg and Emily) noticed a big difference in my happiness meter, something that’s hard to put a price on.

Remember, choosing who we work with is one of the BIG perks of working in our own businesses – so take advantage of it.  In my experience, it makes all the difference in the world.

I was in Rosie’s on Elm Street last Thursday, enjoying a few quiet minutes at the end of the day with my friend Jennifer. We were talking about the usual things – business, kids, weather and more business.

And then she said, “It seems like you have no problem spending money to make money.”

I don’t, but I was definitely surprised to hear her say that. To me, this isn’t just a good approach; it’s the only approach that really works if you want to grow your business.

Here are some of the things I had mentioned during our conversation which prompted her to say what she said:

“Debbie Faye is working with me on improving my speaking presentation.”

“I hired a business coach, Jane Pollak, to help me reach my goals for the year.”

“I’m working with Scarlett DeBease to update my wardrobe.”

“I’m interviewing new accountants to help me organize my business.”

Later, as I was driving home, I realized how happy I am about what has now become my standard approach: Paying wonderful, capable people to help me work better, faster and smarter.

In other words, instead of doing everything myself (the way I did for years), I surround myself with experts. That’s real leverage.

Unfortunately, lots of solo professionals don’t see the world this way. To them, spending money (especially if things are feeling financially tight) feels like an extravagance. What I’ve found, though, is that you have to spend it to make it!

When is it time to get help?

In almost all cases, the answer is: Sooner than you think! In my experience, people wait way too long to bring in support, often putting it off until things have gotten really bad with missed deadlines and worse.

So, here are two questions to get you started:

1. Are you doing work you’re not really qualified for?

   Tinkering with your website, doing your own taxes, setting up an email newsletter are all business essentials best handled by experts. Maybe you’re good at some of these things, but many people aren’t, resulting in poor quality work that takes a lot of time to complete.

2. Are you doing work that’s below your pay grade?

   There’s nothing shameful about putting together your own client gifts or running down to Kinkos to make a bunch of copies for tonight’s presentation. But much of this work can be done less expensively by somebody else. If you’re spending time on this, you’re not spending time doing higher value tasks.

Simply put, you can’t build much of a business if you’re not willing to rely on other people. Find others to support the high quality – high paying! – work you do best and pretty soon you’ll also be spending money to make money.