Finding Business that Fits

Many writers try to fit themselves into the perceived needs and expectations of clients - "I'm a specialist in the dietary healthcare needs of left-handed chimpanzees, as you can see from this clip (or brochure)."

Meeting the need of your client or prospect is vital. If you don't, they won't hire you. But before you rush out after every potential work lead, remember that before you fit yourself to the client's needs, you fit the client to your needs. Some won't pay enough, while others might pay enough, but wait for publication, leaving you to effectively fund their accounts payable department. A magazine might want to keep you from writing for its direct competitors, even if those titles are important revenue sources. One corporation buyer may keep changing her mind and always asking you to jump through hoops and toss your plans to the wind because she never made any plans of her own.

You can't always tell what a client will be like before you first do business with it, but after one assignment, you should have a pretty good idea. Once you know that its requirements don't fit yours, don't keep doing business there. Get one client that doesn't fit your business in one way or another, and you'll find that it affects the rest of your business in a negative way. That might seem unrealistic, but it really isn't. One disorganized client slipping its schedule can force you to say no to a long time client with an atypical tight deadline, reducing what your income could have been. A slow payer at a bad time could force you to take on work that pays far less than your target rates but that quickly sends a check that might help reduce the cash shortfall.

When you provide a service, the customer comes first. But your business supports your life and even as clients come and go, you always have to be there. Make sure that you like the fit.