Want Business to be Easier? Follow these Steps to Identify Your Ideal Client.

You didn’t start your business just to work with anyone—you started it because you’re passionate about your craft, and you wanted to create something meaningful.

But somewhere along the way, you may have found yourself saying “yes” to projects and clients that drain you, complicate your workflow, and make business more stressful than it needs to be.  

If you’ve ever thought…

• “Why do some projects feel effortless, while others leave me questioning everything?”
• “Why am I constantly putting out fires with certain clients, but not others?”
• “Why do I feel stretched so thin and overwhelmed with my workload?”  

…it’s time to take a closer look at who you’re serving—and whether they’re the right fit for your business.  

Let's talk about your Ideal Client...

The truth is not every client is the ideal client—and when you start working with the not-ideal ones, your business feels more chaotic, less profitable, and harder to manage.

When you get clear on who your Ideal Clients are, operating your business becomes a little easier.  

• ✔ You attract projects that excite you.
• ✔ Your workflow becomes more efficient because you’re working with people who follow and respect your process. 
• ✔ You create consistent revenue growth by focusing on the clients who truly value your expertise. 
• ✔ You avoid burnout because you’re no longer stretching yourself to accommodate clients who drain your energy.  

So, how do you get clear on who your Ideal Client is? Let’s break it down:

Step 1: Identify the Clients You Love Working With  

• Think about your past clients. Who were the ones that made you think, *“I wish I could work with clients like this all the time”*? These are the people who:
  • ✔ Respect your expertise and trust your process. 
  • ✔ Are excited to work with you and appreciate your value. 
  • ✔ Make the experience enjoyable instead of stressful. 
  • ✔ Are profitable and willing to pay for high-quality work. 
• Action Step: Make a list of your best past clients and circle the characteristics they have in common.  

Step 2: Identify the Clients Who Drain You

• Not every client is an ideal client. Some make your job harder, disrupt your process and create unnecessary stress. These are the ones who:
  • ✖ Constantly question your expertise and push back on decisions. 
  • ✖ Try to bargain on price or don’t see the value in your work. 
  • ✖ Make communication difficult, delay approvals or ignore your process. 
  • ✖ Leave you feeling frustrated, exhausted or doubting yourself. 
• Action Step: Identify common red flags that indicate a non-ideal client before you commit to working with them.  

Step 3: Define Your Ideal Client Profile 

• Once you know the dreamy and not-so-dreamy types of clients you’ve worked with, create a clear profile of the clients you want to attract. Consider:
  • ✔ Their age, gender, location, occupation. 
  • ✔ Their personality, lifestyle, hobbies and values. 
  • ✔ Their desires, budget and expectations. 
  • ✔ What problems they need help solving.
  • ✔ How they make decisions and what they prioritize. 
• Action Step: Write a short paragraph describing your Ideal Client.  

Step 4: Align Your Business to Serve These Clients Best

• Once you’re clear on who you want to work with, you can start adjusting your business operations to attract more of your Ideal Client and repel the ones who aren’t a good fit. Here’s how:
  • ✔ Refine Your Messaging: Make it clear on your website and social media copywriting who you serve and how you help them, so the ideal people recognize themselves in your content and are attracted to YOU!
  • ✔  Streamline Your Marketing Efforts: Analyze where you're currently targeting your Ideal Clients and based on your new discoveries, create a more strategic action plan to meet them where they hang out- and connect, share, invite and offer value. If they spend their time working from home, perhaps an old school mailbox mailer will be effective. If they're constantly on the go and checking email, perhaps a weekly newsletter is your best way to stay top of mind. Get creative.
  • ✔  Refine Your Approach: Tailor your sales process (from inquiry to contract) to speak to your Ideal Client. Be direct and honest about who you specialize in serving. This step may be uncomfortable (especially for people-pleasers), yet I can assure this approach will save everyone involved lots of time, money and energy if the pairing is not a good fit.
  • ✔ Set & Uphold Your Boundaries: If a new client inquiry raises red flags, trust your instincts. Saying no to non-ideal clients makes space for the dreamy ones. Commit to being honest for everyone's good, and even consider referring them to another company you think would be a better fit. 
• Action Step: Schedule time on your calendar to take or delegate actions above that apply to your company.

The bottom line is...

The more intentional you are about who you work with, the easier it is to create a business that runs smoothly, grows consistently and gives you the time and freedom you originally wanted when you started.  

So, take a moment to reflect, then follow the steps above.

And when you do, send me an email at [email protected] and let me know one characteristic that defines your Ideal Client. 

I'm always here to celebrate progress!