Badassery Magazine Issue 3 August | Page 14

will be unavailable to answer emails. Putting an auto responder in your email service that says, “thank you for sending a message. I will be back in the office on X date” helps. About the Author You can even use this when you are not out of the office. An auto responder might say, for example, “thanks for sending me an email. This is to conform receipt and that we will have a response to you in 48 hours”, or whatever works for you. This method helps you identify clients who are going to be overwhelming before you’re in too deep. TURN DOWN BAD CLIENTS BEFORE YOU HAVE THE EXPERIENCE OF WORKING WITH THEM Weeding out good and bad clients is crucial to owning a six-figure business and keeping your sanity. You must be able to identify when someone is going to be overbearing. If they request to speak to you ten times before they even sign a contract, this is a red flag they will continue to bother you. A true professional will understand that you do what you do best on your own. When you know how to set your boundaries and stick to them, your business and your life will be all the better. Just because you work for yourself doesn’t mean you are always on the clock for a client- honor yourself by laying down boundaries. Laura Pennington is a former inner city teacher and receptionist turned writer and freelance guru. She now helps other new and emerging freelancers make more money in less time at Six Figure Writing Secrets sixfigurewritingsecrets.com 13  12