One of the toughest decisions you can make in a client relationship is when to end it. It can be strange to think about cutting times with the person that provides your income, but sometimes there comes a point where the relationship is too hard to handle. 

The average person spends 90,000 hours at work in their lifetime, making up about a third of the time we have. For many people, they may interact with their colleagues and clients more than they do their own family. It is no surprise that the people we surround ourselves with can impact our mental health and wellbeing in a multitude of ways. So why is it that when we have the ability to choose the people we work with, we stay in unhealthy client relationships that wear us down? Although they support your financial livelihood, are they worth risking your happiness and fulfilment? 

There are many reasons why you might consider ending a relationship, they might talk down to your staff or are disrespectful to you or members of you team.  I’m going to tell you some signs that it might be time for you too. 

You aren’t doing what you want 

When we are looking for work, many of us are quick to accept work that we “can” do, even if that work does not align with what we want to do. It’s easy to say yes to getting paid to do tasks that we are capable of, but soon enough you may realise that that work does not provide you fulfilment. It is true that when you love what you do, work does not feel like work, so why settle for tasks that do not align with the path you want to take?

They ask too much of you 

It’s one thing to do the work tasks as set out between you and your client. It’s another thing when your client becomes a burden, asking things of you as if you are a business partner rather than a vendor. This is commonly known as scope creep. That is they consistently and constantly expect you to do things that are out of scope and abuse this relationship.

These are the clients that contact you for every little detail, trying to get more out of you than what you offer or what they are paying you. You’re always having to chase them to pay you and they still complain.This burden can quickly weigh you down and is a valid reason to communicate boundaries or say goodbye. 

You have communication troubles

Every good relationship needs good communication. This could go one of two ways. Some clients might think it’s appropriate to call you at all hours of the night, on weekends and holidays, extending your already long days to an unbearable amount. Other clients may be more relaxed, taking their time replying to your emails, ignoring your calls and making themselves unreachable. Both of these are unhealthy. The way you communicate with clients will determine the way you work with them and it will not always be effective. 

You are not earning your worth

When dealing with clients you’ve had for a while, it’s common for them to expect to pay you at the same rate you started at. In the beginning of our work, we may sell ourselves short, accepting less pay in order to obtain more clients and earn our reputation. However, over time your experience and worth grow and so should your paycheck. 

This does not always mean you need to end the relationship. Maybe it’s time to reconsider your worth and negotiate new prices with your client. Think about the value they give you and set a price that you are willing to offer to continue working for them. Creating a win-win circumstance for yourself is the best method in this situation. Getting them to pay you more for the work could be just as much of a win as not having to work for them anymore if they can’t afford you.

You can’t satisfy their needs

Your job may be to help a business grow, but what happens when they grow out of your control. This could be evident when they need skills you don’t possess or when the quantity of work becomes overwhelming for you to complete. As a good vendor, it is the right thing to realise this and find a resolution, potentially meaning that your work there is done. 

It’s hard to say goodbye, but it can be a lot easier when you know it is ultimately going to benefit you and the career path you want to take.