Finding Your Ideal Client: 5 Questions That Can Help

Julie Starr • November 1, 2022



When you start looking outside your business for the components that give your company the support it needs, you invariably conclude that the client is the glue that binds everything together. The epiphany when you discover who your ideal client is is an important moment; however, many companies can plod along for years without identifying who that ideal client really is. How do you identify the right client? Here are a few questions to ask.

Who Would You Like to Work With?

As simple as it sounds, asking yourself who you would like to work with can help you fine-tune your goals. It could be about who excites you, but it could also be to do with what makes your role easier. For example, you may have a process in place that you think makes life simpler for your back-office functions, such as MSP quoting software or CRM software. And if you have the right tools in place that make your life easier, but you also have a client that is effortless to work with, this can be a match made in heaven. 

We need the right tools to function, but without the right clients, it is worth nothing. Therefore, understanding who you would like to work with may not be about your ideal demographic, but about someone who takes the pressure off and this can be reflected in how your business processes reveal themselves. 

Who Will Waste Your Time? 

You could spend a lot of effort finding your ideal clients by digging deep into demographics , but it’s just as important to understand who you don’t want to deal with. This is an often overlooked part of the process. When you are crafting a marketing campaign, you may believe that finding your imperfect client is a waste of effort. But it’s a form of self-preservation that you find the people who will waste your time and efforts. 

There could be a number of factors at play here, for example, someone who is demanding you respond to them during unsociable hours. You might be strict about your work-life balance, and if you find a client that is messaging you at 5:30 on a Sunday morning, this may highlight them as having unrealistic standards. 

Do You Understand What They Need? 

Finding their biggest pain points is critical. You can identify what their desires are, but again like finding out who your ideal clients are not, understanding the biggest pain points can help you understand if you can solve their problems for them. You can do this by looking at their view of the world. 

Sometimes we can find a client that we get along with because we are similar in our outlook. However, at the end of the day, you still need to provide a service that solves their problems for them. 

What Is Your Current Client Base? 

Sometimes the answer is simple. You can look at your current client base and you can see an emerging pattern. There could be specific types of people you don’t like working with either, due to specific demographics like age, or that they have an outlook that doesn’t tally with you. 

Many organizations tend to use the sustainability prism as a way to find the right clients for them, and when you are finding people who talk the talk but don’t walk the walk, you can slowly streamline your ideal client base to a handful of people who are providing that symbiotic relationship. When you are looking for the ideal business client, sometimes, the solution can be very simple. 

Can You Leverage for Quick Results? 

The reality of the situation is that instead of finding ideal clients by yourself, you need to find partnerships that you are already working within other, less obvious, ways. Rather than just pitching to potential partners or focusing on your marketing, sometimes the solution is more about forming partnerships with others who have already got the clients that you want. This piggybacking method may seem underhanded, but this is where you’ve got to find an organization that compliments your business and you compliment them. 

Finding another business that provides a service that is not the same as yours but can do an endorsement deal with you can benefit both sides. 

Finding the right business client is about ensuring you have an understanding of what you want first of all, but also if this relationship is worth your while. Relationships should be easy and effortless.

5 Everyday Items That Can Quietly Boost Your Brand

By Julie Starr • July 17, 2025
The best branding doesn’t always come from big campaigns or expensive graphics. Sometimes it’s the smaller stuff that leaves the biggest impression. Things people actually use, touch, or carry with them. That’s where your brand can quietly make its mark without needing to shout about it. If you’re only focusing on social media and business cards, you’re leaving a lot on the table. Here are five overlooked ways to get your name out there that feel natural, useful, and more personal. Thank-you slips If you’re already sending out orders, there’s no reason not to include a short thank-you slip. You can easily get these made through any decent online print shop , and they’re usually pretty cheap to run off in small batches. Just a simple note that says thanks, maybe with a reminder to follow you online or a cheeky discount code for next time. It’s quick, thoughtful, and makes the whole order feel more finished. Customers notice that kind of detail, especially when everything else they buy online comes with zero personality. You don’t need a complicated design either. Just something clean with your logo, a message that sounds like you, and maybe a social handle. The point is to give them a reason to come back or remember your name without it feeling forced. Branded zip pouches If you sell physical products, offer services, or run events, small zip pouches are surprisingly effective. Think of the kind you’d use for stationery, receipts, or travel bits. You can get your brand printed on the side and hand them out with purchases or include them in welcome packs. People keep them because they’re actually useful. They get tossed in handbags, school bags, or glove boxes and your logo just keeps turning up. Cleaning cloths for glasses or screens This one works brilliantly if you’re in tech, health, beauty, or anything involving screens or eyewear. A simple microfibre cloth with your branding on it can go a long way. Everyone needs one. Whether they use it for glasses, a phone screen, or their laptop, it’s something they hang onto. It’s not the kind of thing people throw away, and that means your name sticks around too. Receipt envelopes You might already use little envelopes to hand over receipts or business cards. Branding those envelopes is a small change that makes a big difference. Instead of someone getting a scruffy bit of paper in a plain sleeve, they’re handed something that feels a bit more finished. You can even add a message inside. Doesn’t need to be anything dramatic. A simple “thanks for visiting” or “see you next time” is enough to add a personal touch. Wet wipes or mini hand gels If your business is in hospitality, food, or anything hands-on, branded wet wipes or pocket-sized hand gels are surprisingly popular. People actually use them, especially at festivals, food stalls, pop-ups, or kids’ events. They end up in handbags or cars and stick around longer than you think. They don’t scream “marketing” either. They’re practical, and when done right, they make your business feel thoughtful. That’s what good branding does, it shows you’ve thought ahead.

How Student-Led ‘Energy Audits’ Are Cutting School Costs (and Lighting the Way Forward)

By Julie Starr • July 14, 2025
What happens when students stop waiting for adults to fix things and start conducting their own energy audits? Money gets saved. The lights get switched off. Data gets analyzed. And a quiet revolution in sustainability begins—inside schools that once overlooked their own inefficiencies. Across the globe, student-led energy audits are proving that change doesn't always need to come from a policy shift or a major capital budget. Sometimes, it begins with a clipboard, a spreadsheet, and a group of curious minds asking: Why are the hallway lights on at noon when sunlight floods the building? The Energy Detectives These audits aren’t science fair projects. They’re rigorous investigations, often done in collaboration with facilities staff, local environmental nonprofits, or even engineering mentors. Students go from classroom to classroom measuring electricity usage, checking for phantom loads , and identifying where heat is escaping in winter or air conditioning is leaking in summer. One high school in Ontario saved over $12,000 a year after its Grade 11 physics students ran an energy audit and suggested simple changes—LED upgrades, motion sensors in bathrooms, and smarter heating schedules. They didn’t just propose ideas. They pitched them with spreadsheets, thermal images, and payback timelines. It worked. Learning That Pays Off—Literally Unlike textbook learning, these audits blend real-world math, environmental science, economics, and persuasive communication. Students aren’t just learning about sustainability. They’re doing it. And the savings add up. From dimming overlit hallways to reprogramming HVAC systems that run all weekend for empty buildings, students are surfacing blind spots that administrators often overlook. In some districts, their findings are influencing energy policy. Elsewhere, the audits have inspired school boards to hire sustainability coordinators—often alumni of the student programs themselves. There’s something poetic about a school funding new books or laptops from money saved by students who found out the vending machines didn’t need to be plugged in 24/7. Why This Matters More Than Ever With education budgets tightening and utility costs rising, every dollar saved is a dollar that can go back into classrooms. And here’s where it gets interesting from a family finance perspective, too. If you’re a parent setting aside money for post-secondary savings, every bit of school efficiency helps. Fewer energy costs might mean more programming, better STEM facilities, or even bursaries. That raises a broader point: when families save for their children’s future, they often look into RESPs (Registered Education Savings Plans). And many wonder—is a RESP deduction available on my taxes? While contributions themselves aren’t deductible, the gains grow tax-free, and students often pay little to no tax when they withdraw the funds during school. A Movement Worth Replicating These audits aren’t just an exercise in environmentalism. They’re leadership labs. Students learn how to spot inefficiencies, speak up in board meetings, and make a business case for change. They don’t just flip switches—they shift mindsets. And they carry these habits into adulthood. The result? A generation growing up not only with climate anxiety, but also with tools to tackle it.