...Is it OK to Fire a Client?

I work with a small business owner who has clients that she works with one on one.   She has a client right now who calls her all the time day and night with questions and concerns.  She will call and leave messages saying if she doesn’t get a return call she will keep calling.  I asked the small business owner if she was charging this person for all the time she spent on the phone with her and she said no. I told her that she should inform the person that if she continues to call on a regular basis taking up a lot of time that there will be a charge and she should charge her a minimum of fifteen minute increments. 

The hope is that she will realize how much money she will be spending (which is why she calls the small business owner all the time worried over money) she will reduce the amount of calls.  The small business owner is unsure if this will work and she is growing very upset with her client and wants to fire her.

Have you ever fired a client before?  Have you had a client that does not make it worth the energy you spend on them? Are they costing you extra money in things that they want you to do or additional time you should charge for?  Think about the clients you have and if you would ever fire any of them from your services.  I think sometimes firing that difficult or costly client is just what you need to do.  In the long run it may save you not only money but peace of mind.   

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Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

...The Art of Customer Service

My husband and I recently took a week’s vacation to Myrtle Beach. We were in Murrells Inlet, which is kind of quiet and away from the bustle of Myrtle Beach.  But there were plenty of restaurants there.  One of the things we noticed was the number of small mom and pop restaurants there.  There are many chains of course but we tend to go for smaller local owned when we travel.  I have to say that the customer service we received there was amazing.

At three of the restaurants the owners themselves waited on us. What a difference that makes!  The interaction, friendliness and overall concern for the quality of our experience was really great.  They asked us questions, made sure we had what we needed, and generally interacted on a level that employees just don’t tend to do. 

We left each of these places impressed with not just the food but the service. At one place that we went to for breakfast we had waitresses (not the owners) and it had such a small town feel about it at each visit. The first waitress we had was exceptional. She gave us insider info on where to shop and where to eat, giving us some honest opinions of places to go. Plus she was just one of those people who really enjoyed her job.  The second waitress we had was good, but nothing to blog about. 

So as a business owner does the customer service levels vary from you to your employees?  It is true that no one cares about a business the way an owner does and that was obvious, to me, on this trip. 

...Does Clean = Calm

Life is too complicated not to be orderly. – Martha Stewart

So I decided to channel Martha Stewart this morning after leaving my house via my wonderfully clean, organized garage.  My husband and I have been doing a lot of work around our house and the garage has been the main place to drop off everything from paint cans to bags that go to donation.  So we (really I) decided we should clean out the garage this weekend (I admit my husband did the lion’s share of the work)  The result?  Clean floors, bags off to the donation center, bag of garbage ready to go out and mostly a huge sigh from me when I left for work this morning.

I’m not sure what it is about a clean, organized space but it really makes me feel calm inside. I actually sighed last night when I went out to the garage for something and again this morning when I left for work.  It’s the same way with my office. Sometimes we are in the middle of a really busy time and my desk and table just get piled up and I have a hard time thinking. There are times I have to stop and put papers in piles and throw some things in recycle to feel like I have a little more control over things.

What gives you that sense? What makes you sigh with relief and satisfaction for a job well done?  Think about your work space- does it help when you are clutter free or do you thrive on clutter? Everyone is different so it’s OK either way.  Today take a look around your space and decide if it’s what you want it to be.  You might just be rewarded with a huge sigh (I love those).

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Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

...How Hard Do You Work To Keep Existing Customers?

Do you work hard to keep existing customers or spend all your money and energy looking for new ones when the old ones leave you?  My recent experience with two cable companies has me asking this question.  Wouldn’t you think it would be cheaper to take care of the customers you already have as opposed to letting them go and having to spend money to acquire new one?

Example, our cable bill kept going up after our contract ran out with a cable company.  We called and asked if they would consider lower the bill, they really didn’t have much in the way of offers for “existing customers” only new customers.  So, after a while we decided to switch providers to lower our monthly bill.  That experience with the other provider has turned out to be a nightmare with their customer service. I am hoping it will get better.

Now think about what that costs our cable company?   They have to pay someone to take our old equipment, which has to be checked, and then returned to them. Plus they sent me a box by Fed Ex to return the equipment after I told them I would take it directly to them- that cost money to send to me. 

Wouldn’t this have been a whole lot easier if they had just given me a discount of helped me reduce my monthly bill?  It’s amazing to me that the two companies I have been dealing with stay in business at all. 

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Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter

...The Shutdown

I guess this year will be known for THE SHUTDOWN. Our government was shut down, causing a ripple effect across our country and all over the world.  I have no desire to discuss politics (like the democrats or republicans are at fault) but rather look at this like a business. 

It’s pretty safe to assume that if any of us who work regular jobs or own our own businesses could not balance our budgets, or could not negotiate or work with people we did not like, we probably would not keep our jobs or businesses for very long.  So how is it that the people who are elected by us and supposedly work on our behalf are not held accountable when they don’t do their jobs?

It has been amazing to me to watch the blame go back and forth and with no talk of solving the real problem and in this case just delaying it for a few more months. It’s as if one side gives in to something they lose- no I think that’s called compromise.  All of us compromise on a daily basis. We have to work with people we don’t like or we work with people who drop the ball and don’t do what they promised, yet none of us refuse to work or make sure our businesses stay up and running.  

Washington could learn a lot from spending some time with real people- people who run their own business. When you are the one making sure that everything is done in a small business- then everything gets done.  You don’t have time to sit around and fight with others or refuse to work on the issues.  If our politicians could only think like a small business owner and be held accountable, then there would never be a SHUTDOWN.  

Suzanne Cormier

Executive Director

BizWorks (Small Business Incubator)

Follow Suzanne Cormier on Facebook and

Twitter @BizWorksCenter