When you’re starting out, whether freelancing or setting up your own business, you often have to take on work you don’t really want to do. It’s not ideal, but you’ve got to pay those bills. However, one of the best things about being your own boss is that you can say ‘no’. For me, those moments have proven to be some of the most liberating, and a real marker of progress. Easier said than done I know, but I can’t recommend enough getting your finances to a place where you have a bit of breathing room. As the saying goes ‘a principle isn’t a principle until it costs you money’. By saying no to work, you are establishing how you want to work and the values that you believe are more important than financial gain. Over time, those decisions solidify into a working culture, and define who you are and what your business is.