Would you rather have 5 long-term clients or 25 one-off customers?

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CrimsonLight1126

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Curious how people here think about recurring revenue versus individual projects.

Five long-term clients can provide predictable income and make it easier to plan ahead. On the other hand, depending too heavily on a small number of customers creates its own risks.

With one-off customers you're constantly prospecting, but you're also less dependent on any particular relationship.

Personally, I think there's a good argument for maintaining a mix of recurring customers and new business.

Which model do you prefer?
 
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A mix of both actually. Recurring clients give you a stable base of income to plan around while one off projects keep new money coming in and help you avoid relying too much on a few.
 
I believe simplicity is more important than adding too many features. Most customers prefer something that is easy to use. Even small improvements that save time and reduce hassle can make a big difference.
 
I thing regular customer is backbone of your business, add good new customer and make them regular as well slowly slowly you will scale
 
i'd take the 5 clients, but only if none is over 30% of revenue. i lost a client who was 40% of my income once and it took four months to recover. now i keep a few small one-offs running as a buffer.
 
Long term clients of course. It means stable income and stronger relationships. Real flex is when people trust and value your work.
 
i prefer a mix of both.regular clients make income more predictable while one time projects bring in extra money and keep you from depending too much on just a few clients.
 
Long term ones are always preferable, but I wouldn't turn away one off customers. Some times these one off customers end up becoming long term in the future.
 
CrimsonLight1126 said:
Curious how people here think about recurring revenue versus individual projects.

Five long-term clients can provide predictable income and make it easier to plan ahead. On the other hand, depending too heavily on a small number of customers creates its own risks.

With one-off customers you're constantly prospecting, but you're also less dependent on any particular relationship.

Personally, I think there's a good argument for maintaining a mix of recurring customers and new business.

Which model do you prefer?
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5 long term clients all the way because I would be able to service them a lot of times in a 5-7 year period.
 
If you have to pick, go with 5 high-ticket clients.
It's better to focus on quality work for a few good clients than to keep chasing new clients every month.

I have a few regular clients myself, and they are never a headache.
Every month, I have to keep competitors work in check, look for good guest post opportunities, and build quality links to help them stay competitive.
This helps me keep their link-building strategy consistent, identify new opportunities, and avoid falling behind competitors who are actively building links
:)
 
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