Copyright (c) 2002 by Angela Booth

Into each life a little rain must fall, and into each business life waltzes occasional difficult client.

Luckily, most clients are a pleasure to work with. The pains in derriere are also, when you have enough experience to recognize type.

I've listed several "difficult" types below, so that you can arm yourself against them.

The major weapon in your armory is THE CONTRACT. Always have a contract, no exceptions. Be especially wary of prospective client who says: "A contract? This will take you what, an hour? Surely you don't expect a contract for an hour's work?" (See "The Spider" below.)

=> The Convivial

You can recognize her by her cry: "Let's have a meeting before I sign off on this!" The Convivial client:

* always has an office which is half a day's drive from you;

* rarely shows up for any meetings she's scheduled, and if she does, is always at least an hour late; and

* never has an agenda for any meeting, and therefore never remembers why she wanted to see you, indeed she'll convince herself that YOU asked for meeting.

Your weapon: a signed contract with a paragraph which states that all meetings except first are chargeable at your usual daily rate, which is $X.

Note: if you don't have a schedule of fees, develop one. By close of business today. It's vital. Contact your professional association or ring local practitioners to discover what standard rates are, and use these as a basis to calculate your own fee schedule.

=> The Extremely Cautious

Her cry is: "I need to get input from Sales and Marketing, and then Legal wants to look it over". The Extremely Cautious client:

* has trouble with decisions, so rarely sees a project through to completion; and

* micro-manages, so expect five phone calls a week while you work on project.

Your weapon: a signed contract which specifies your billing cycle. This depends on project, but always get at least a third up front, and invoice monthly. Make sure that your contract specifies that all revisions after final draft are chargeable. When you hear "Legal" think: "revision, revision, revision".

=> The Bargain Bazaar

Her cry: "It came up that we really need X and Y and Z to make package complete. You won't mind including them, will you?"

The change in lifestyle that comes with a home business requires adaptation from entrepreneur as well as his or her spouse and children. So before you jump into world of home business, have a frank discussion with your family about issues such as:

__How Will You Separate Business and Family?

Home businesses are particularly difficult to manage because they're just steps away from family life. You need to be able to concentrate fully on your business, yet when you spend time with family you shouldn't be distracted by business matters -- or worse, tempted to go do 'just a little work.' Some things you can do to help keep business and family separate include:

* Set 'office hours'. This is time where you focus on your business without having to worry about family.

* Take time out for yourself. No one can work all time, and you'll burn out if you try. Set aside some 'personal time' to exercise, read, or do something else you love.

* Take a guilt-free day off with family. Yes, an entire day away from business! You'll feel more refreshed and better able to concentrate on business afterwards.

* Get organized and stay focused! The less time you have to spend searching for email, papers, etc., more time you'll have to actually perform productive work. This will free up time so that you can do other things.

__Will Family Members Contribute to Business?

Come to a clear understanding about what your spouse will or will not do. For example, you may ask for help during unexpected busy periods but not on a regular basis. Or you might agree that it's okay for your spouse to send or read business mail, but that you are only one who answers phone.

It's best to set this straight from beginning. Don't assume that your spouse is willing to help out. Likewise, don't assume that you'll have complete independence because "it's YOUR business". Come to an agreement -- it will help to lessen stress for everyone.

__How Will You Handle Financing of Your Business?

Money is almost always a big issue with families. A home business, particularly in startup phase, is going to require funding. Your family may have become accustomed to a certain level of 'comfort' when it comes to luxuries such as dining out, recreation, spending money, and so on. Will any of this need to change, and if so, what?

There are many ways to finance a home business, including:

* Use income earned from your 'day job'. Many people continue to work their regular jobs in order to fund their home businesses. It is only until their home businesses are producing a reasonable income that they have option to quit their jobs.

* Finance your business with savings. If your savings were to be used for another purpose (for example, a family vacation or buying a home), how much of it are you willing to 'sacrifice' for your business, even if it's meant to be a 'temporary' loan?