#175 | WHY FIRING BAD CLIENTS IS GOOD FOR BUSINESS

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Not all clients are good clients. Some clients cost more in time, energy, and stress than they’re worth, holding back your business and creativity. You see, for me – and I’ve done a whole show on this topic – our time, energy, and creativity are our most valuable resources.

But what happens when certain clients drain all three—and don’t pay enough to make it worth it? This episode will focus on identifying toxic or low-value clients, explaining why you should let them go, and providing actionable steps on how to do it professionally.

Before I get into that though let me just talk briefly about last week’s show where I detailed three ancient Chinese battle strategies and how they applied to today’s world. Ancient wisdom is sometimes hard to get our heads round, but often throws up very valuable productivity advice.

As freelancers, we sometimes feel the pressure to accept every client to maintain financial stability. With that said though, dealing with difficult clients can end up costing us more than the benefits they bring. By choosing to let go of problematic clients, we create opportunities for attracting better-paying, respectful, and like-minded clients, ultimately improving our outlook, our mental health, our creative energy and our bank balances.

If you are with me on this, let’s talk about a few signs that may indicate that it’s time for you to let these clients go.

They Don’t Respect Your Time

• Clients who are constantly asking for last-minute revisions, scheduling calls outside of agreed hours, or ghosting and then demanding immediate attention are definitely worthy on a place on your list.

• An example: A client who messages you at 11 PM expecting changes by the morning.

They Undervalue Your Work

• Clients who haggle over your rates, ask for discounts, or say things like, “This should only take you 5 minutes.”- and boy oh boy do I have a few of them. In fact, I have a client right now that will probably tick each one of these boxes.

• Example: A client who repeatedly tries to lower your prices even after agreeing to your rate. I’ve had a client recently who agreed a rate then said those fateful words it’ll only take you an hour. I once did a job for my brother. He said it’ll only take me an hour. Not only did it take about 3 and a half hours, it was in fricking England and there was about 4 and a half hours driving there and the same again back.

  
  

They Drain Your Energy

• Negative, rude, or overly critical clients who make every interaction stressful. I no longer have any time for these sorts of clients. As a fight director, there are certain 1^st AD’s that I simply refuse to work with as they are so rude, and I have an ever-growing list of people I am not interested in working with or for.

• Example: A client who micromanages every step of your process and never seems satisfied.

  
  

They’re Not Profitable

• Low-paying clients who take up a disproportionate amount of your time and deliver minimal return. Fuck me I’ve absolutely had it with these jobs. I mean don’t get me wrong if it doesn’t take me long, its local and it sounds fun, and I’m free I’ll still help folk out who are in trouble but I’ve done a job recently, you know who you are if you are listening, that paid me 480 quid and lasted more than year.

• Example: Spending 10 hours on a project for a client who’s only paying fifty quid – and these jobs do not come back as decent gigs later in life as I once thought. I did a load of jobs for someone who is now artistic director of a bog theatre company on Glasgow and despite doing numerous fight direction gigs for him for pennies in the past, he never calls me for work now.

  
  

So, let’s get into the nitty gritty and talk about Why Letting Go of Bad Clients is Necessary

• Time is Money: The hours spent on bad clients could be spent finding or working with better clients. Sometimes, the best way to grow your business is by letting go of those who hold it back.

• Stress Kills Creativity: Difficult clients drain the energy you need for your best work. I absolutely reached the end of my patience on a creative project recently as no matter what I did, someone somewhere was undermining me and giving contrary instruction. It absolutely drove me batty, and that in turn stopped me working on my own projects.

• Opportunity Cost: Keeping bad clients means you’re saying no to potential clients who might pay more or respect your boundaries. Sometimes yiou might even say no to the mediocre in order to make space for better opportunities.

• And the final reason for why letting go is necessary is that your reputation matters: Working with the wrong clients can lead to subpar work or bad reviews. I’ve certainly suffered from that with my involvement in some low budget affairs. Not all I hasten to add. Some are wonderful, but enough of them are bloody awful for me to regret saying yes.

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Which brings me to my next point, How to Let Go of a Client (Professionally)

Step 1: Evaluate the Relationship

Ask yourself:

1. Is this client aligned with my goals and values?

2. Are they paying enough to justify the stress or time they require?

3. If this client left tomorrow, would I feel relieved?

4. If the answers point to letting go, then move forward.

Step 2: Set Clear Boundaries First

• Before firing a client, try to fix the relationship by setting firm boundaries.

• Example: “I can’t commit to last-minute changes moving forward. Please provide at least 48 hours’ notice for revisions.”

• If they can’t adapt, then it’s time to part ways.

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Step 3: Politely End the Relationship

• Be professional and respectful when firing a client.

• Example Email Script:

  
  

  “Hi [Client Name], I’ve appreciated working with you on [specific project]. However, due to changes in my workload, I won’t be able to continue providing [specific service] moving forward. I’d be happy to recommend someone else who might be a good fit for your needs. Thank you for the opportunity, and I wish you all the best.”

  
  

• Avoid overexplaining or pointing fingers—it’s about closing the door gracefully and I’d add quickly, and definitively.

  
  

Step 4: Leave the Door Open (Only If Appropriate)

• If the client isn’t toxic but just a poor fit, leave the option to reconnect:

• Example: “Feel free to reach out in the future if you have projects that align with my current scope of work.”

  
  

Step 5: Replace Them with Better Clients

• Sometimes, the best way to upgrade your life is to ruthlessly eliminate the things that no longer serve you. This includes people, activities, and mindsets so use the time freed up from bad clients to market yourself and attract more ideal clients

• Update your portfolio, refine your pitch, or focus on networking to find higher-value opportunities

There's a YouTube channel called the CFO report that I found whilst researching that has a similar 5-point system for firing bad clients. I have to say that I think it works quite well. Theirs goes.

1.     Begin with the end in mind. You want to offboard the client as quickly as possible, and to do it professionally, without any drama.

2.     Start your email by showing gratitude. Thank them. For tactical reasons. Sets their mindset.

3.     Cut to the chase. Don’t beat around the bush. Explain why things aren’t working, and set an effective some date we will no longer be offering services, and you will have to find a new service provider. Don’t give reasons because they will want to counter accuse and respond, and create drama. Set a specific date to endline.

4.     Layout how you will help them with a smooth transition. Explain that you are happy to work with them in the transition. Leave them with a positive experience. 

5.     Show gratitude one more time at the end. I am very grateful for your service over the past year. I am looking forward to making the transition seamless, if you have any questions. Take the high road. So, they have no reason to fire back.

Please also remember that you are under no obligation to answer further questions on why you are moving on. This will set you up for more success in the long run.

I have spoken about my experiences with this in an earlier episode about the 80/20 rule. This is known as The Pareto Principle, which is an observation that approximately 80% of effects come from 20% of causes. In business and productivity contexts, it suggests that 80% of your results or success often come from 20% of your efforts or clients.

I applied that to my client list and immediately cut off 20 percent of my clients that caused me 8- percent of the bother I had to deal with. I have to say that I have never looked back on that one.

For me the Key Takeaway in all this is that not every client is worth keeping. Letting go of bad clients isn’t just about cutting losses—it’s about creating space for better opportunities that align with your goals, that pay well, and that respect your time.

Is there a gig that you have that is not bringing value to your business, and who’s holding you back? Your call to action today is to set boundaries with just one difficult client—or start taking steps to fire them.

If you found today's episode engaging or insightful, I would truly appreciate your support! By subscribing, leaving a review, and sharing the podcast with your network, you'll help build a community of like-minded individuals who value personal and professional growth. In next week’s show I’ll be talking about the Bad Apple Effect, which I am sure you will find very interesting, as it’s not a million miles away from this week’s topic.

Now take control of your own destiny, keep on shooting and join me next time on Film Pro Productivity and Success

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