When you begin freelancing, it’s exciting to get that very first client. You feel like you’re finally on your way toward building a successful business.
While that’s true, as you gain clients you may wonder how many you should take on in total. Obviously, you need enough work to make a good income. After all, that’s what pays your bills.
But at what point do you begin turning clients away? Here are some of the signs you have too many freelance clients.
1. There’s No Time for Family
If you have a family, spouse, or partner, they should be high on your priority list. However, most people have to sacrifice family time for work at least occasionally.
But it’s a problem when it becomes routine or normal. It may also be a sign you have too many freelance clients.
Achieving a good balance somewhere between too few clients and too many isn’t always easy. If you have too few clients, your income level drops.
Nevertheless, too many can cut into family time. You may begin to wonder why you are freelancing, to begin with.
2. Self-Care Isn’t Happening
Another sign you have too many freelance clients is when self-care isn’t happening. Of course, normal personal hygiene isn’t the issue. Most likely you are taking care of those needs without question.
You may be neglecting yourself in other ways, though. For example, eating out constantly or consuming unhealthy foods because you have no time to cook is a sign. So is not having the time to exercise.
Although this type of self-care isn’t part of basic hygiene it’s still important to your overall health and well-being. If neglected too long you could begin developing obesity, heart problems, and other health issues.
3. Work is Routinely Behind
When your work is routinely behind it’s another sign you may have too many freelance clients. The temptation to take on just one more client to increase your income will always be there.
The problem is that you must keep up with the amount of work you already have. Therefore, taking on another client may not be a wise decision.
When you get behind you risk doing less than your best in order to simply get projects completed. Mediocre work may be ok occasionally. But you run the risk of harming your good reputation if clients become unsatisfied. They may decide to drop you in favor of another freelancer who delivers quality work in a timelier manner.
4. Exhaustion is Normal
Overtasking yourself can be a sign you have too many freelance clients. It leads to exhaustion which, in turn, can harm your health.
Constantly running on fumes, depriving yourself of sleep, and having problems concentrating are obvious signals of exhaustion. Clearly when these things are happening something needs to change.
You must allow yourself the time to rest so your body can heal and repair itself. Exhaustion harms your immune system and makes you more susceptible to illness and injury.
What to do About it
There are some things you can do to help when you have too many freelance clients. You could let one or two clients go to free up some of your time. You could also hire help, turn away new clients, and work on time management.
On the surface, having too many freelance clients appears to be a good problem to have. It can allow you to pick and choose the clients you want to work with. It also allows you to let less desirable clients go.
But recognizing that you have too many freelance clients is the first step toward making changes. Use the information provided to help you do that and continue running a successful freelance business.
