I like you…I just think we’d be better off as friends. It’s not you, it’s me. The timing isn’t right.

We’ve all either heard or used those excuses during a breakup in our personal life. Too bad you can’t use them in your business life. Breaking up is hard to do, especially when it comes to clients. But when a client’s been with you from the start and your services are worth more than you’re charging, what do you do?

Keep your fees where they are and then gradually increase them. If you give your clients fair warning, then they can make the decision to keep working with you or find someone else. If you’ve done a good job for them, chances are they’ll stay and pay more for your services.

Decide if you’re willing to seek out new clients to replace your current, lower-paying clients. Keep in mind that if the services you provide are worth more than what you charge, eventually you’ll resent your current clients. At the same time, how much work will it take to find new clients and how much will it cost? If you weigh the time/cost benefit, you’ll have your answer.

No one ever said that relationships were easy.