Any and all businesses will need to take on new clients at some point. It’s rare for a person or organisation to be able to survive off of just one customer for the course of their career, and it’s unrealistic to expect to do so.
Because of that, you should prepare yourself to take on a new client or two from the get-go. The more you know now, the easier this transition will be, what with a double to triple workload and the need to split your time more evenly on the horizon!
As such, here are a couple of useful things to keep in mind about expanding your client roster. Growing in this way can be tricky, slow going, and even a little risky, so be sure to have these points on your side.
Value Your Work Correctly
It’s rare for anyone outside the retail world to charge the same price to everyone. When you’re running your own business, whether in a self-employed capacity or not, it’s best to price yourself on a case-by-case basis.
You can make this easier on yourself by valuing your time at a standard rate, but depending on what the client wants from you, you can increase (or even decrease) the amount in question.
Say you price your time at £20 an hour – if the client wants you to do 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for the next month, that’s a fairly simple calculation. However, if they come to you with a project that needs to be completed within the next 24-48 hours, you can increase your hourly rate to account for the quick turnaround.
Meanwhile, when you’re working with larger clients such as B2B businesses, pricing often goes beyond simply counting hours. You may be dealing with more complex requirements, multiple decision-makers, and longer-term commitments, all of which add to the value you’re providing.
In these cases, having efficient systems in place-such as processes supported by client onboarding software that can help you manage information, approvals, and expectations smoothly-can save you time and reduce friction. This added structure allows you to take on bigger projects with confidence and price your work based on the scale and responsibility involved, not just the time spent.
It Pays to Verify Identities
Verifying identities makes it more likely that you’re bringing genuine clients on board, who are willing to pay for your time and skill, and you’re not walking into a scam or a simple waste of time and effort. You can usually do this quickly and effectively by asking for ID or by asking the client to join a face-to-face meeting before you get to work with them.
Of course, depending on the kind of business you’re running, this won’t always be essential. A content creator will rarely need to conduct deeper screening to ensure they’re working with a genuine client – a few quick online searches will let you know that.
But if your profession revolves around handling sensitive data, such as being a freelance accountant, you may wish to work with an account information service provider to ensure you meet current safety standards, such as the UK’s financial regulations. A service like this will give you deeper insight into who your client is and whether they’re legitimate without having to request personal data yourself.
Taking on new clients is a natural part of running a business. However, make sure you do so in a way that really works for you. Take your time, be careful, and value yourself properly.