Marley was dead, to begin with. And so, apparently, was my client’s reply button.
As a creative entrepreneur, you wear a lot of hats. But I never expected to find myself playing the role of Ebenezer Scrooge, staring out the window into the digital fog, wondering why my ledger wasn’t balancing.
Recently, I crossed a major business rite of passage: The Professional Breakup. And let me tell you, it was a total festive haunting.
It started with the Ghost of Invoices Past—specifically, a client’s web hosting and site management fees. They constantly sat there in my inbox, rattling their digital chains, completely ignored. If they were addressed, I would receive a reply of “I’ll go take a look at it,” not “let me settle that up,” but “I’ll take a look at it,” as if they may or may not be valid.
Now, in the early days of building Sheri Taylor Creative, I might have let it slide. I would have nervously sent a dozen polite “just bumping this to the top of your inbox!” messages. But there comes a time in every business owner’s life when you look at your server bill and realize you are essentially running a charitable tech foundation for people who refuse to pay you.
Which brings us to the Ghost of Business Present.
I had to channel my inner, no-nonsense Victorian clerk and set a hard boundary. I sent the ultimate ultimatum email. The terms were simple: pay the past-due balance by the drop-dead date, or your website enters a very quiet, very permanent digital graveyard. No humbug allowed.
But the real kicker? The Ghost of Next Month’s URL Renewal.
Plot twist: I have been paying for their domain name over the past two years. So, if midnight strikes on the drop-dead date, and the piggy bank is still empty, that URL is going to expire, vanish into the ether, and become available to the public. God bless us, everyone (except people who don’t pay their developers).
Am I bitter? Not at all. It’s actually a beautiful moment of clarity.
Running a creative agency means knowing when to overdeliver on art and when to stop delivering on unpaid bills. I love my clients fiercely, but I love my boundaries even more. You cannot build a thriving business on promises and “exposure.”
Other excuses I have received from past clients who have taught me a big lesson:
— After losing two media jobs due to the downfall of broadcast media, a community media company wanted to pick my brain on my creative talents, sign an NDA, with no clear path on how I was to be paid, except asking if I had “considered applying for unemployment.” However, they were able to squeeze a beautiful business spotlight video out of me, which I’m sure someone profited from, other than me.
— I was notified that a client couldn’t pay me after completing a week of work for their online station. A heads-up before doing the airshifts would have been nice, maybe not for their airwaves, but better for me.
— The one that takes the cake was a client on retainer, who told me two days before that retainer is due, “I can either pay you, or pay my bills.” I’ll just let that one sit with you, because theoretically, I was one of those bills.
To my fellow freelancers out there clinking your chains in the counting-house: this is your gentle reminder to check your auto-renews, lock down your data, and remember that your talent—and your server space—is worth paying for.
Now, if you’ll excuse me, I have some calendar reminders to set. May your invoices be paid, your clients be dream-like, and your coffee be strong. 💻✨
Tired of chasing ghosts?
Setting boundaries, pricing your worth, and handling tricky client situations shouldn’t feel like a Victorian horror story. If you’re ready to build a profitable, bulletproof freelance business with rock-solid boundaries, let’s chat.
Click here to learn more about my Creative Consultant Business Coaching, and let’s get your ledger balancing beautifully.
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