Every Red Flag in One Client: What Could Go Wrong?

Ever had a potential client say something that immediately sets off alarm bells?

Sometimes clients tell you exactly who they are, and we don't always listen. 🙃

Here are three common red flags we've learned to watch out for and what they really mean:

🚩 They say: "We’ve been through 3 bookkeepers this year. No one can seem to get it right!"

😬 They mean: "We're difficult, disorganized, or unclear, and we'll probably blame you next."

🚩🚩 They say: "It shouldn’t take you long, it’s really simple."

🙄 They mean: "We don't fully appreciate or understand the work involved, and we'll probably question your invoices later."

🚩🚩🚩 They say: "Honestly, I don't have time for any of this stuff, but you can just figure it all out, right?"

😵‍💫 They mean: "I'm not invested in understanding my own business, and I'll probably ignore your emails until everything is urgent."

STORY TIME: We once encountered a potential client who checked EVERY red flag box and even added a few new ones. Yes, this is 100% true, all from ONE person. 😬

He told us upfront we'd be his third bookkeeper in one year because the last two "stole from him," and he’d even "made one sell her home to pay him back." How exactly do you "make" someone sell their house? 🏠🤔

He wanted us to work onsite at his warehouse so he could "watch us work." Hello, trust issues. 👀

Their social media was full of inappropriate comments, aggressive rants bashing other businesses, and a toxic workplace vibe. If they're openly bashing others, could we be next?

Within four hours of first contact, he'd already called and emailed multiple times because we hadn't responded fast enough. We weren’t even working together yet. Boundaries clearly didn't exist.

Public records also revealed multiple messy legal battles in his recent past.

Plus, he casually mentioned owning a funeral home on the side. Not exactly a red flag by itself, but combined with everything else, it gave us an extra uncomfortable feeling. ⚰️😳

Even after all of this, we STILL hesitated about turning him down. He ran a large business and clearly needed help, so it was tempting...

But gut instinct won. We politely said we were fully booked (we weren't). Absolutely zero regrets. 🙌

When your gut waves a red flag, trust it.

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