Most of us are opportunists – In a constant endeavor to push ourselves up against the epitome of success and recognition. And understandably, we are always looking for quick prospects and greater opportunities.

In the process, we tend to start ignoring people who believed in us when we hardly had any credibility. Years back, when we just got started. As our freelancing portfolio grows, we stand at crossroads with bigger clients, higher pays, consistent work. Question is, should we dump our old clients? Mostly because they seem to offer relatively lower rates as compared to the plethora of projects knocking on our doors? Tricky situation.

We definitely shouldn’t. Yes, they offered lower rates mostly because YOU were literally non-existent in the freelancing world during the yesteryears. You had no job history. No publications. No experience. No positive reviews. No credibility. The freelancing job portals are flooded with such low-budget clients looking for starters, to get the work done at affordable rates. Small-business owners and budding online entrepreneurs. There are vulture agencies hunting for easy third-level outsourcing. And you collaborated with one such client. But that’s okay. It was a win-win. Remember, these low paying jobs were the stepping stones. And helped you build up a profile that honestly paved the pathways for a better future.

Building a solid freelancing portfolio isn’t easy. Especially since the influx of commercial writers has been literally exploding. While a majority of such writers are sheer junk, you wouldn’t know the merit unless they work for you. In the process, clients lose money and genuine writers lose crucial opportunities. Unfortunately, there’s no foreseeable mechanism to filter out the garbage right at inception. Alas!! the trustworthiness of the commercial writing community suffers. It is therefore hard to build a long-term mutually beneficial alliance.

So a long lasting business relationship needs to be cherished. These clients were the reasons behind the feedbacks, reviews, and earnings that you proudly showcase on your public profile today.

Retaining your old customers might get challenging when you have better opportunities lined up. But, these customers offer a certain stability and continuity that newer clients might not offer. Burst job with high payments adds to your revenue spikes. But stability is a critical business factor that shouldn’t be ignored.