Friend or Client? When You’re Too Close for Business

There are some clients that are going to be straight to business, and straight to the point. There are other clients, though, that will want to pal around, and will want to mix business with pleasure.

While it’s okay to have a good rapport with clients, things get a little tricky once they start calling you just to chat, or wanting to meet you for coffee. Suddenly the dynamic changes–as does your relationship.

Without the right boundaries, your business relationship can quickly fall apart. This could mean losing money on favors, cutting rates and even working for free. After all…who wants to charge their buddy?

To avoid this, you are going to want to set boundaries. 

From the get-go, the nature of your relationship with your client should be strictly professional. If you need to wine and dine them to close a…