Just Say No: Here's Five Reasons Why

Nancy Reagan said it in 1982, so why is it so hard for me to say it now, in 2007? Granted Nancy was saying no to cocaine, and I'm trying to say no to cash. One is most definitely harder to reject than the other. Unless, of course, you're Lindsay Lohan and it's Saturday night.

Seriously, though. There are only 24 hours in a day and seven days in a week. If you're a successful small business, you'll have enough work to fill 40 hours in a day, 10 days a week. Which means, inevitably, that you're going to eventually have to turn down work.

It's hard, though. When you're a small business owner, you can't count on a bi-weekly paycheck that's put into your checking account twice a month via direct deposit. There simply aren't any guarantees. If you're like me, then, you feel constantly like a squirrel in the fall, trying to stockpile nuts for the impending winter. And when I see a nut, all shiny and new, I feel foolish passing it by.

This month, though, I've let a few nuts be. It's a big milestone when you're able — financially and emotionally — to say no. Here's 10 reasons why I finally did:

1. Because I'm overbooked. If you don't have time, you can't do the work. It's as simple as that. As small business owners, we have a tendency to think we can always find more hours in the day. But sometimes you just can't, and that's OK. You need to say no.

2. Because I'm self-employed. Sometimes, clients ask too much of you. They want you to work on site. They want you to take on extra tasks and job functions, but without extra pay. They want you to drop everything to do a last-minute project for them. It's worthwhile at times like those to remember that you're your own boss. You're not on staff at your client's company. You set your boundaries, and if they're crossed, it's OK to say no.

3. Because I'm stressed out. If you're like me, a big reason that you started your own business was so that you could manage your stress and be in charge of your own anxiety. If you're working on a project, and you suddenly feel like you used to feel when you were at that 9-to-5 office, scrambling to obey your boss, please your client and meet your deadline, then you've got a problem. We all know the feeling; it's a different kind of pressure, and it's something we swore we'd never feel again. If you're feeling it, it's time to say no.

4. Because I need a break. If you're a small business owner, you don't get two weeks of paid vacation. It sucks, but it's true. So the only way you're going to get a break is if you take one. So say no every now and then, if only to catch your breath.

5. Because it's not the end of the world. One of the hardest things about saying no is that you feel like you're saying no not only to the immediate project on hand, but also to all future projects from a given client. Relax. If you do good work, and you have to turn down a project once in a while, your clients won't hold it against you. They'll be disappointed, but they'll come back. Just don't say no all the time, or they'll start to take it personally.

Alright, time to wrap this post up, as I just said yes to another project. And you know what? That's OK, too. It's alright to say no when I have to, and it's alright to say yes when I want to.