Comments on: Learning To Say No – Confessions Of A Small Business Yes Man

By: JD

JD — Sat, 21 Nov 2009 01:42:29 +0000

First, congratulations on having a supportive wife for your business; that will make it much easier to succeed!
Other than learning to say ‘No’; learning to know when a client is toxic and when to let them go is one of the most valuable lessons you can learn.
Good luck!

By: Why Saying “No” Is Important | Small Hands, Big Ideas

Why Saying “No” Is Important | Small Hands, Big Ideas — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 15:02:02 +0000

[...] Then (I should have done this prior) I took a look at my schedule and priorities and realized I didn’t have the resources or time to complete the project. I got back to them and apologized that I had to turn down their offer. I [...]

By: Steve

Steve — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 15:09:06 +0000

@Mitch
I think all of us business owners have fallen for this trap at some time or another. I just wish that I knew what I know now back then:)

By: Carla

Carla — Mon, 26 Oct 2009 03:33:30 +0000

Great story! I have gone though some of the same issue you’ve had with people either wanting something for nothing, don’t know what they want so they waste your time or trying to scam you. When you’re starting out, its easy to want to give in, but we have to have a balance between excellent customer service and looking out for ourselves.

By: Mitch

Mitch — Sun, 25 Oct 2009 01:57:58 +0000

Wonderful post. I’ve felt this same way for years with my business. Lucky for me, I’ve only had one client for whom I just had no idea what it was the ever wanted from me, and, though it took me some months, I finally ended the relationship. And she never said a word to me when I contacted her saying it was over; not one word. I did the right thing, and learned a very valuable lesson from it all.

By: briteguy

briteguy — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 14:22:29 +0000

Thanks for sharing this story.

I think doing online business is like any other business, you have to be laser beam focused on just the core competency. I had similar experience doing my website.

I often get such request that ask me to build a website. However, I am more comfortable to doing my own site and provide hosting services rather than building a website for others. I know the money is good but for me, it is not scalable, let alone saying I might get pesky customers nitpicking each bit of the layout all the time.

Also, there is a price for learning to say no, as you will lose the sale. So that’s why it is very very important to keep a cash-cow (full time job for example), so that you don’t have to say yes to just get the money.

By: Mark Foo | 77SuccessTraits.com

Mark Foo | 77SuccessTraits.com — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 08:48:49 +0000

I agree, Steve. If you look into your life and take note of the activities that brought you the most success and achievements, you would easily discover that about 20% of your activity produces 80% of your success. This is the basis for the Pareto Principle, also known as the 80/20 Rule.

We would certainly benefit much more and reach our goals much faster by dedicating 80% of our time to 20% of the most productive and meaningful activities and say ‘No’ to all those time-wasting activities.

Cheers~

Mark

By: How To Say No With The Empathy Sandwich

How To Say No With The Empathy Sandwich — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 18:08:02 +0000

[...] Learning To Say No In Business over at My Wife Quit Her Job [...]

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:41:21 +0000

@Steven
Wow, I think that offer would tempt many freelance writers. It’s a good thing you did your homework! Thanks for sharing your story. I wonder if any businesses in Nigeria are legit?

By: Steve

Steve — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 15:39:15 +0000

@Chi
I don’t how you do it selling promotional items. It’s almost impossible to have set prices because everyone wants their own specific customizations which take varying amounts of design effort. I guess over time, you get an idea of the overall effort and can set guidelines accordingly. Good luck with your business.