Money is necessary, natch
We need money to survive – I get that. It’s a ‘necessary evil’ to enable us to do the things we really want to do. Like pay the mortgage and get the credit card people off our back. But should it be a god? Once you have ‘enough’ – whatever that is – why do some of us crave so much more?
Get rich schemes
There are plenty of people on LinkedIn and Facebook suggesting you can have a six- or seven-figure turnover business if you just do their course/join their group/or jump through their hoops. I’m sure some of them must be worthwhile but I’m always a bit sceptical of people offering a silver bullet.
When you’ve been around the block a few times, it hits you. Yes, money matters. But it’s not the only thing that matters.
Moral dilemmas
As a vegetarian would I work with a butcher’s? Would I shun providing copywriting encouraging people to gamble or drink more alcohol? What about hunting? Should I turn down work I personally feel is immoral or is it just work? We all have our own compass that is tested almost daily. I’m not about to spill my beans about this now.
What are your clients like?
But what I will say is that the single most important thing to me is not how much people pay me, but what they are like as people. Are they nice to have around? Do you look forward to that phone call or dread it? Are they unreasonably demanding? Do they ever say thank you? Do they ever think about anything but themselves and their business? Does working with them make you proud? Do you trust each other?
Don’t work with difficult people or divas
So, my big fat tip is only work with nice people; people you have a connection with. It doesn’t mean you never have differences of opinion or that they are never challenging. But on balance, they pass what my husband calls the pub test. I don’t have to be friends with my clients, but I do have to respect and like them. That’s what works for me.
What about you? Is it all about the money?
Image credit: Sharon McCutcheon Unsplash