🧩 How to decide if a client is a good fit for you

I truly believe that it is worse to have bad clients than it is to have no clients at all, but how do you know if a client is a good fit for you?

I made this checklist with a client who asked me this question last week, and I thought it worth sharing with you now. Let me know what you think.

1. Good clients know what they want you to do for them

   
   

   1. If you go into the work without clarity, you don’t accomplish much. Both of you will feel it was unsuccessful.

      
      

2. You both feel you can help them

   
   

   1. Business is about solutions, if you (or they) don’t feel like you can help then it is a bad fit.

      
      

3. You want to help them

   
   

   1. If you don’t like them for some reason then you will hate working with them. Don’t bother, there are plenty of clients out there that you will like.

      
      

4. Helping this client will lead to more of the kind of work you want to do, rather than more of the kind of work you don’t want to do

   
   

   1. Every action you take is a vote for the type of person you wish to become and the type of business you want to run. This one client project doesn’t happen in isolation, it also shapes the future direction of your work.

      
      

5. The opportunity cost is worth it

   
   

   1. Working with this person will prevent you from doing something else with that time - working on your business, or with other good clients, or otherwise enjoying your life. Make sure the cost of working with the client is worth it.

      
      

6. They act on your suggestions

   
   

   1. If they don’t act it is usually a sign that they don’t fully trust you; but whatever the cause of inaction, it is frustrating for both parties if they pay you for advice but then don’t action it.

      
      

   2. Additionally, you won’t be able to use a client who doesn’t act as leverage to get new clients as their results will be garbage because they never followed your advice. No good quality reviews, case studies, or referrals will come from people who don’t take action. Work with doers.

      
      

7. They are polite

   
   

   1. People who are impolite tend to be demanding and ungrateful. Not only does this damage your self esteem, but also damages your reputation (not matter how good a job you do they still won’t be happy, and they will tell others!).

      
      

8. Things “flow” well with this person

   
   

   1. If every suggestion feels like a battle and/or every joke feels awkward then you’re just not the right fit for each other.

      
      

9. They are respectful of your time and boundaries

   
   

   1. You don’t work FOR this person, you’re working WITH them. You’re a team. If it doesn’t feel like you’re a team then it isn’t a good fit.

      
      

Accepting every client causes more problems that it solves. Be picky, it will help you make more money and be happier.

Did you find this list useful with identifying your good-fit clients?

Do you think I missed anything that helps spot the good vs bad clients?

Let me know in the comments below 👇

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I shared this in my Work Smart Wednesday newsletter. Want the full set of related insights? You can read them here: https://worksmartwednesday.substack.com/p/work-smart-wednesday-august-13-2025

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