It sucks having to say goodbye to a client. Especially when your clients are good people, and they’ve treated you fairly.
Unfortunately, I’m in that position right now. It wouldn’t be fair for me to pretend that I can still support people whose websites, and sometimes businesses, depend on me and my services.
I took a job just over two years ago that ended up being a really great thing for me. I was given a lot of autonomy, and lots of opportunity to do things that really interested me. All I had to do was sign on. Full time. 8:30 am – 5 pm.
Since then I’ve learned a lot about my craft, a lot about project management, and a lot about how people I knew before the job depended on me.
Many of those people realized, without prodding, that I wasn’t as available to support them. Many simply decided to go in a different direction. I supported that every time – because hey, if I’m honest, I know that it’s better for my ex-client to find somebody who will focus their full attention on what ex-client needs.
Now it’s time to kick the rest out. I’m drafting a nice – but stern – email that will effectively state that my services will go dark completely in a few months. It goes out this Saturday. Option A is to find another provider. Option B is to say goodbye to your site. (And in some cases, Option B has probably already been exercised anyway – none of these sites are so big that they’re daily movers.)
I really loved running my own business. I miss being able to work from home, in my pajamas. On the other hand – I make a lot more money, a lot more reliably (direct deposit!) than I ever did running a business. That’s enabled me to really start a family and provide them with a nice house and good meals – without going further into debt every day.
Someday, I do want to return to running my own business. Someday, I want to go back to teaching classes at the University. In both cases, I know there’s some things I’d do differently. But today I want to work a 9-5, come home, and enjoy the family I’m working to care for.
So goodbye, former clients. I will, really, miss you. Thank you, and I hope you understand.