Business Empire Magazine provides how to's and articles for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs

I've made my share of mistakes throughout my time of running my business, but one of the biggest mistakes that I made was not knowing when to say no. My very first client was a barter client. Bartering is nothing to look down on because it is a way to give something we have while getting something we want but can't afford, but you have to watch how you barter. The barter client that I had was a great person but the downfall was that we agreed to barter for one year. He would provide management coaching while I provided virtual assistant services. This worked for a few months and then I noticed that his coaching wasn't really helping me and that I was "donating" my time more than he was his time. I didn't know how to tell him that I wasn't getting what I expected out of this arrangement. I didn't want him to get upset with me, so I kept up with our arrangement. He then needed another virtual assistant to assist him as well so I found somebody for him. Eventually she was handling more and more of his tasks and I slowly faded out. I do not have any ill feelings towards her because she took an incompatible client off my hands and I did not have to do what I thought would upset him by telling him our arrangement wasn't working out.

Since my experience with this client I have realized that my business is my business and if I believe that an arrangement isn't working out, I need to tell them and then offer them alternative solutions for their needs. If I don't tell them, it is wasting my time and theirs because if I am not passionate about helping them then I have no business being their virtual assistant. This type of learning experience also goes along the lines of personality clashes. While we got along fine, our personalities just didn't mesh. I now realize how important it is to have compatible personalities when working with any client.

Another mistake I made with not being able to say no actually worked out for the best but it made me realize how important that two letter word is. I met a person on a forum that I belonged to that was specific to my niche at the time (yes, I explored several niches before finding the right one). He wanted a project done. At first, I thought I could do this project. It shouldn't take me long but once I got into it, I realized that I couldn't do what he was asking. I explained this to him and told him that if I have more time I could do it and that I wouldn't charge him for it because the time frame was much later than expected. He agreed. To make a long story short, I created the project, he was pleased and he is my all time best and biggest repeat client I have. Lucky for me this client had faith in me and liked my work ethics more than his dislike for the extended time it took me to complete it. I have since learned to get all the facts and expectations before taking on any new client/project. If once I get all this information and it seems to be above my skill level, I am upfront with that client. Should the client walk away, that's fine. Who could blame him? Should he decide to work with me then that's great as well, as long as my client knows my limitations up front. However, if I have a client contact me to do work that I absolutely detest or have no desire to even learn I turn that client away. As I stated before, if the passion is not there I am creating a serious disservice to my client and me.

We should say no when the project would detract us from our primary business goals, and route us somewhere that we know we do not want to go. Exploring new areas and welcoming new opportunities is good, but if we know where we need to go, and something would fragment or distract us from that course, we should turn it down.

Many first time business owners are so eager to become successful that they believe that if they say no, it will make their business look bad. When in reality, it is just the opposite. Saying no gains you respect because you know your limitations and you know what you want out of your life and your business. I'm not saying to say no if the project or personality of the client isn't 100% compatible with you but to be able to say the word no when it is totally beyond your capabilities and your personality can be beneficial to both you and your client.

Article by: Tracy Collins
Tracy Collins, Confidential Virtual Assistant, owns/operates Collins-Admin Services, http://www.collins-admin.com a virtual assistance company. Offering confidential virtual administrative support services to entrepreneurs/small business owners who feel they need higher than average confidential assistance. For more great articles about business and confidential virtual assistance visit her blog at http://www.collins-admin.com/blog