Why Your Business Needs a Yes, No, and Hard No List (And How to Make One!)
Have you ever had so much to do that you don’t want to do any of it?
That was me a few weeks ago! And it ended up being major de ja vu.
Flashback to over a year ago: I was near burn-out. I was working seven days a week, barely paying myself, and losing passion for my business fast.
Fed up, I took my rebranding process as an opportunity to also reevaluate. (Update! I’ve rebranded again since.) Reevaluate my pricing, my offers, and what my highest return on time investment was.
As a result, I finally owned what my services were worth and raised my prices. I also determined that the services that lit me up the most were also the ones that gave me the biggest ROI. Whoo hoo!
So I narrowed down from five services to one- website design- along with my online courses.
Well, mostly.
My insecurities won out and I still ended up offering photography, writing, and marketing refresh packages to whoever asked- even though I had already removed them from my website.
I felt guilty. It was money, and aren’t we in business to make money?
It was especially hard to pass up these opportunities when my business was still in a slow spell earlier this year.
But after returning from my vacation to Old Orchard Beach, I ended up getting busy. SUPER busy. And I couldn’t do it all.
So in the midst of my recent “so much to do, don’t want to do any of it” slump, I decided to make a yes, no, and hard no list.
Watch the Reel!
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5 Reasons Why Your Business Needs a Yes, No and Hard No List
Your business is making you miserable.
You’re wondering why you’re spending so much time working and barely turning a profit.
You have very little work-life balance.
You feel taken advantage of.
You’re booking more services you don’t enjoy instead of those that truly light you up and are in your zone of genius.
The results of Making a Yes, No, and Hard No List.
• Instead of becoming good at a bunch of things, you’re able to become an expert at a few.
• You can make more money in less time and love doing it.
• You’ll have more time to market your yeses.
• A clear message on exactly what you offer. Because while it may seem counterintuitive, it’s actually better to be the go-to on a topic or target market. (Check out this post.)
But wait! What if I just started my business or it’s barely making an income? Shouldn’t I accept any client or offer anything that comes my way?
No!
Here’s why: You want to become known for what you want to offer and you want the time to be able to do that work. You may experience a sudden whoosh in business and if you’re too bogged down by the clients and offers who don’t light you up and suck time and energy, you’re less likely to be able to take on the work you love when the opportunity presents itself.
And when you become known for what you want to offer, word of mouth will do its thing.
So what to do in the meantime?
Take on a part time job. Seriously. During my first three years of business I maintained a full-time job, and over the past four years have worked on and off part time. This has enabled me to build a strong foundation with my business and set boundaries, which makes me not resent my business.
Still not convinced? Click here.
How To Make a Yes, No, and Hard No List
Ready to make that list? I’m going to guide you through how I made mine. Feel free to follow the same process or adapt it to your needs. Here are the steps:
Make the list.
• Yes = The offers you LOVE; the ones that light you up, spark joy, and are in your zone of genius.
• No = The offers you don’t necessarily enjoy, are outside of your zone of genius, etc. that you continue to offer anyway.
• Hard No = No matter how much anyone is willing to pay or how many times they say please, there’s no way in hell you’re doing these.
Reflect on your hard nos.
Ponder your nos.
Up level and amplify your yeses.
My Yes, No, and Hard No List
Yes
Membership
Online Courses
No
Consultations
In-Person Classes
Website Design
Writing (i.e. press releases)
Hard No
Photography
Graphic Design (esp. logos)
Social Media Management
Updating websites I didn’t design
The Result
Reflect on your hard nos.
First I looked at the hard no list. These were services I had offered in the past that I discontinued last year and no matter what did not offer again. Whenever anyone asked, the answer was a hard no.
Why were these a hard no?
• They were outside of my zone of genius, which meant I was constantly having learning how to do something. This left me with a very low return on time investment.
• They required me to constantly be on social media, which I’m trying to avoid.
Ponder your nos.
My no list was full of services that didn’t light me up but I continued to offer if anyone asked, despite not promoting them or even having them on my website. So I asked myself a few questions:
Why did I no longer want to offer these services?
• Because they required too much creative energy/time.
• They required a commitment on my schedule and I work best uninterrupted. And when I have so much on my to do list, I don’t have time for time commitments. Not only that, I have a very independent type of personality where I hate being tied down and love the freedom to be able to make last minute plans or leave work if I don’t feel well or productive.
• Upgrading photography equipment is expensive and takes awhile to payback the investment.
• They required me to access other people’s websites/social media platforms which meant I had to stay up to speed on all website platforms (like Wordpress, Wix, Weebly, etc.). And not only that, each website platform has its own themes and it often took even more time to figure them out. Finally, I realized that I didn’t want correct the work of another when I offer website design and could have made the website optimal from the start.
Okay, so why was I still offering them?
• They’re what I’m known for. I went to college for English and initially thought I wanted to be a writer. Also, my business started out as portrait photography, and many people still know me for that. So I felt like I wasn’t honoring where I started or that it was wrong to go in a different direction.
• I love helping people and know what it’s like to feel super frustrated and overwhelmed by marketing. I also know what it’s like to start out and be on a tight budget.
• Offering a bunch of different services made me a one stop shop, which is more convenient for clients.
• Money. It’s hard to pass up.
What can I do when a client asks for these services?
• Refer! I have a fabulous photographer, logo designer, and writer who I refer people to. It feels wonderful to send people to someone who I know will knock the job out of the park (even better than I could!) and supporting another entrepreneur is always a great feeling.
• Share links to my free tutorials and online courses. I love empowering entrepreneurs to do their own marketing. It’s like that give a man a fish versus teaching him to fish thing.
After answering these questions, I felt less guilty about shifting my nos to the hard no list. It’s amazing how revealing writing something out can be; it made me realize how ridiculous some of my answers were! Now I’m feeling more confident and less guilty for finally sticking with my desires.
Up level and amplify your yeses.
I totally want more a good thing, don’t you? Now that you’re committed to no longer offering your nos, you have more time to offer more yeses.
How can I make my yeses even better?
• I can continue to learn more about Squarespace to improve the quality and features of my website design.
• I can create an onboarding process that walks clients through the steps and outlines what I need from them.
• I can create a timeline with deadlines for me and clients so the project stays on track and everyone is held accountable.
• I can add even more content to my online courses.
What can I do to book more of my yes offers?
• Make them the primary focus on my website.
• Offer more tutorials as a taste of what my courses entail.
• Better describe the benefits of my online courses and website design offer.
I’m feeling much more at ease and filled with purpose as a result of writing a yes, no, and hard no list. If you decide to complete this exercise, I’d love to hear your results! Let me know in the comments below. =)
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Just getting started in business and looking for a roadmap? Check out my Begin Your Business online course. We’ll cover everything from pricing to forming an LLC, assembling your team to getting your first clients, and everything in between.
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Hey there! I’m Meg:
LOVER OF CATS, ROLLER SKATING, AND VW BUGS
I also love business and share all kinds of tips and resources to help you grow yours.
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