Pick clients that pick you

In the early days of a business, desperation disguises itself as opportunity.

It's usually a game of accepting whatever call, email, DM, etc., comes your way, and seeing where it takes you.

While this is a strategy, it may not be the best strategy.

You'll often find that lacking a basic understanding of your ideal customer profile (commonly abbreviated "ICP" in marketing circles) makes early conversations with prospective clients challenging. I'll add that selecting your ICP goes far beyond typical sales advice around "niching down" and "selecting a target audience."

To a large extent, your ICP includes who you want to work with — and yes, it can be as simple as a gut feeling. Vibes. Someone's "aura," as we Gen Zers call it.

Contrary to popular belief, entrepreneurship is not only about money or economic benefit. Instead, it's about creating something you love and enjoy. It's much easier working a corporate job and bypassing all of the cumbersome facets of owning a business like unpredictable income, taxes, legal liability, budgeting, inventory management (in product businesses), employees, payroll, and customer service — you get what I mean.

I always recommend that you strongly consider who would make you genuinely excited to get up in the morning and work with.

Whoever that is should be your client.

For example, in my tax and bookkeeping firm, Clarion Tax & Advisory, I've quickly narrowed down that I love working with people who recognize, understand, and abide by their legal obligation to pay taxes. It sounds dumb at first, but you'd be surprised by how many people think they can bypass taxes by getting paid cash under the table, classifying their underwater basket weaving hobby as a legitimate business so they can claim business expense deductions, or not withholding taxes from their paychecks.

Paying taxes is not optional, people! You don't get to opt out. You may think you can, but the IRS will find you. It may take several years, but they will. Not to mention that paying your taxes is among the most patriotic thing you can do (second to military service, of course).

Anyway, I'm always happy to educate people on taxes — it's complex stuff and it's one of my many passions. But, the moment someone frustratingly yells or bickers — to me — about THEIR tax obligations, I've come to realize that is not someone I want to work with.

And as a private business owner, I don't have to.

Because the reality is that if I were to choose to work with someone like that, they wouldn't be the best client, anyway. If they don't want to pay their tax bill, they likely don't want to pay you.

If they don't respond to IRS notices, they likely won't respond to you when you need information from them. And the stressful cycle continues. Rinse and repeat.

This is why you need to pick clients that pick you.

You are not the federal government. Your constituency (or "target audience" in business terms) isn't everyone. If you think it is, you're wrong. And you will absolutely regret your life when your client scolds you for something that's not inherently your fault — whether you're running a tax firm, marketing agency, home services business, you name it!

All of this reminds me of the Spiderman meme that was rampant on social media a few years ago. Spiderman pointing at Spiderman, each accusing the other of being the problem.

In my line of work, the meme is resemblant of the client who gets themselves into a tax mess because they followed incorrect advice from Joe Schmoe's TikTok account and then gets a scary IRS notice in their mailbox.

They reach out to us, frazzled, needing help. And they eventually say something like, "what do you mean your fee is $5,000, on top of the $10,000 (plus penalties and interest) the IRS says I owe?!?"

...Next!

In the end, always choose the self-respecting path over money. It may be tempting, but don't be guilted or shamed into working with someone less than ideal. Better is out there.

Selectivity is your best shot at creating a sustainable business that doesn't feel like you're walking barefoot on LEGOs every day.

You are not for everyone. And it's time to stop acting like it.