Toxic people to avoid.

It's no secret that negative people can get you down. As a solo-entrepreneur, though, these people can be bad for business (you have so much on your plate, you don't need people squashing your dreams, too). 

I read an article by Brett Blumenthal about the 8 Toxic Personalities to Avoid on Yahoo today, and I think it's worth a look. In this post, I've included the personalities I think are the most detrimental to your business. They're below with Brett's description: 

1. Judgmental Jims: 

When you see things as cute and quirky, they see things as strange and unattractive. If you find people's unique perspectives refreshing, they find them 'wrong'. If you like someone's eclectic taste, they find it 'disturbing' or 'bad'.

Why they are toxic: 

Judgmental people are much like Debbie Downers. In a world where freedom rings, judgment is sooo over. If the world was a homogeneous place, life would be pretty boring. Spending a lot of time with these types can inadvertently convert you into a judgmental person as well.

2. Dream Killing Keiths: 

Every time you have an idea, these people tell you why you can't do it. As you achieve, they try to pull you down. As you dream, they are the first to tell you it is impossible.

Why they are toxic: 

These people are stuck in what is instead of what could be. Further, these individuals eat away at your self-esteem and your belief in yourself. Progress and change can only occur from doing new things and innovating, dreaming the impossible and reaching for the stars.

3. Insincere Illissas: 

You never quite feel that these people are being sincere. You tell a funny story, they give you a polite laugh. You feel depressed and sad and they give you a 'there, there' type response. You tell them you are excited about something and you get a very ho-hum response.

Why they are toxic: 

People who aren't sincere or genuine build relationships on superficial criteria. This breeds shallow, meaningless relationships. When you are really in need of a friend, they won't be there. When you really need constructive criticism, they would rather tell you that you are great the way you are. When you need support, they would rather see you fail or make a fool of yourself.

4. Never Enough Nellies: 

You can never give enough to these people to make them happy. They take you for granted and have unrealistic expectations of you. They find ways to continually fault you and never take responsibility for anything themselves.

Why they are toxic: 

You will spend so much time trying to please them, that you will end up losing yourself in the process. They will require all of your time and energy, leaving you worn out and your own needs sacrificed.

What type of people do you feel are most detrimental to your business? How do you deal with them? What if they're your clients?

Good, fast, or cheap: choose two of three.

A while back, I wrote an article on Freelance Switch about overcoming price objections (how to do it tactfully and confidently). If you're interested, you can read that article here.

As business owners, we often struggle with pricing: we don't want to underprice ourselves, but we don't want to scare clients away, either. In one of the comments to the article, freelance graphic designer Colin Wright brought up a great way to think about pricing: the project triangle. 

What's a project triangle, you ask? Let me explain, via Colin's comment:

"A good way to deal with questions about your hourly rate or project quote is to refer them to the Project Triangle.

The Project Triangle has three sides: Good, Fast and Cheap. The idea is that any freelancer can be two of the sides, but not all three. I focus (with rare exceptions) on being Good and Fast, and my clients appreciate that, which is a fact I will tell any client who I haven’t worked with before that doesn’t know that about me.

Provided this is true about how you work (it would be very embarrassing to not work Cheap, but also not work Fast or do Good work), it will likely help explain why you are competitive in the market without leaving you with no other response than to put down the competition."

I don't know about you, but I try to work good and fast. I'm interested to hear how others handle pricing issues?

Say thank you! (Clients love it.)

These days, it seems like basic manners are overlooked. 

However, one of the easiest ways to be remembered by your clients (and just to show you appreciate them) is to say thank you. 

To help you make an impression, I've included a quick list of the ways I show appreciation to my clients.

1. Simple thank you card/letter.

For some reason, a hand-written note goes a long way. With all the communication that happens via email, it's refreshing to see someone's scribble. I especially love the thank-you cards from the following places:

www.gartnerstudios.com: Gartner Studios is based in my hometown (Stillwater, MN) so I have to list them here. They offer a great line of thank-you cards, plus many eco-friendly varieties. Many of Gartner's cards are available at Target.

www.nightowlpapergoods.com: I love the letterpress thank-you options. But, I especially enjoy the wooden cards Night Owl makes. You can customize by adding your own message or logo. These cards make an impression every time and they're good for the environment.

www.pinklovesbrown.com: Pink Loves Brown offers great trendy, modern everyday cards. I think their periodic table of elements theme thank-you cards are great.

2. Send some tasty treats.

Sometimes, instead of sending a card, I send an edible or drinkable thank-you. Here are some of my favorite options:

www.cherylandco.com: Cheryl & Co. offers award-winning cookies, brownies, and other deserts. I know first-hand that they are delicious. If your client has a sweet tooth, you can't go wrong with this thank-you. You can send a great assortment for under $30.

www.personalwine.com: My friend, Angela from 13thirtyone Design sends out personalized bottles of wine in appreciation of her clients. I love this idea: not only are you saying thank you, but you can create your own wine label and remind your customers of you.

www.ediblearrangements.com: Ok, ok. So, sending a fruit basket seems kind of corny. Until you get one. And eat the whole thing in one sitting. Fruit is a good alternative for those folks who can't eat sweets or don't drink alcohol. 

3. Books.

Alright. Maybe it's because I'm a writer that I love reading so much. Or maybe I just like escapism. Who knows. But, I love sending gift certificates or books to my clients. Especially if I know they had one in mind. 

www.barnesandnoble.com: You can order gift certificates and send them right online. 

www.amazon.com: If you're not quite sure about the whole book-lover thing, an Amazon gift card covers just about anything.

www.storyopolis.com: If your client has younger children, it's shows a little extra thought and consideration by getting something for the kids. A basket of books goes a long way. These baskets are on the expensive-side for a client gift ($125-300). However, loyal clients are hard to come by and worth the investment.

While this list of thank-yous is not exhaustive by any means, I hope it gets your brain churning and reminds you to show your clients that you care. I know you'll find that a little consideration goes a long way.