FounderScholar

Exploring the science of startups

How to Spot The Nightmare Clients Who Can Kill Your Business

Man in Dark Office Thinking about Nightmare Clients

Some clients go beyond toxic: They can become nightmares. And if a nightmare client slips by undetected for too long they can do long-lasting harm, even putting you out of business.

After years of running and advising professional services firms, I’ve learned to avoid the following nightmare clients: The low-profit client, the misaligned client, and the dead-end client.

Let’s look at how to spot each of these nightmare clients before it’s too late.