Should You Take On a Friend as a Client?
When business and friendship mix, clarity, contracts, and intuition matter more than ever.
If you’ve ever taken on a friend as a client and regretted it — you’re not alone.
As entrepreneurs, especially the heart-led kind, we genuinely want to help people we care about. We say yes because we believe in their vision, because we want to be supportive, or because we think, "Hey, this will probably work out fine." But sometimes it doesn’t!.
And if your gut is screaming don’t do it right from the start? You need to listen.
Some friends simply don’t make good clients.
In two separate situations, I ignored my intuition and said yes to working with people I had long-standing personal connections with — even though I felt a heaviness about it from the beginning.
Something inside told me it would be complicated, but I pushed past that feeling out of a desire to be helpful. WRONG MOVE!
In both cases, things went off the rails. Not because they didn’t pay me — but because they didn’t show up for the work. They ghosted on communications, ignored emails and calls, and left me hanging after I had already spent hours setting things up for them behind the scenes.
The result? A lot of wasted time, emotional entanglement, and a lingering sense that I never should have agreed to it in the first place.
Luckily, I had strong client contracts in place.
In one case, the contract included a 90-day fulfillment clause. When the client resurfaced a year later asking for her money back after we’d had a personal falling out, I was able to hold the boundary clearly and professionally: the service had expired, I’d reached out multiple times, and she’d forfeited the work.
In the other case, I had spent hours setting everything up, but hadn’t even begun the actual monthly work. Because the contract specified a 30-day termination policy, I was able to retain what I’d been paid for the time and energy I’d already invested.
The contracts didn’t just protect my business — they protected my peace.
⏳🦉⏳
I think it’s important to pause here and remind you (and myself) that not all friends are emotional tornadoes!
Some are self-aware, respectful, clear communicators who honor the fact that they’re stepping into a client role — not just relying on your friendship.
In some cases, when a friend asks to work with you, the answer can genuinely be yes.
So if you're considering it, here’s what I recommend:
Ask Yourself These 5 Questions Before You Say Yes to a Friend-Client:
How do they show up in your friendship? Are they emotionally mature, respectful of your time, and consistent — or do they already drain you in subtle ways?
Do you feel excited or hesitant about working with them? Your body will always tell the truth. If you’re dreading it, pay attention.
Have they been clients before (with someone else)? People who’ve paid for services before often understand how to behave in a business relationship.
Are you willing to enforce your boundaries if things go sideways? Because you might have to.
Can you treat them like a regular client — and will they let you? If they expect discounts, special treatment, or constant availability, that’s a red flag.
And if you do decide to say yes:
Use a contract. Always.
Clarify communication expectations upfront.
Have a clear start and end date.
Decide ahead of time how you’ll handle missed deadlines or ghosting.
Saying no to a friend doesn’t make you cold. It makes you clear.
Your business exists to support your life — not to rescue other people from their own lack of boundaries.
I’ve learned these lessons the hard way, and I’m still learning. But I’ve also come to trust my intuition more deeply, to trust the power of clear agreements, and to release the guilt around choosing what’s best for me and my business.
You deserve that, too.
Choose wisely, trust your gut, and always lead with integrity — for you, and for the clients who do show up fully.
Keep choosing clarity over comfort — and trust that your business will thank you for it. 💛
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