I’ve seen a few too many posts and ads lately talking about how DFY and working 1-1 with clients is such a terrible thing. About being at the mercy of your clients, getting paid so little and it’s no better than having a job.

First of all, those problems stem from how things are being run and not the DFY model itself. All of those problems can be solved with an aligned offer, clear expectations and strong boundaries (but that’s a convo for another day.)

And second, there are MANY benefits to doing DFY work:

#1 – It will ALWAYS be in high demand. Folks always need to hire people to “get things done” or to work directly with them in the business. Whether it’s tech, marketing, ops, admin, design, copywriting, bookkeeping, etc… the need for these services doesn’t go away. I daresay that some coaches and consultants could benefit from adding DFY services into the mix.

#2 – It is the fastest path to cash. All it takes is one conversation and BAM – you could have a client. No fancy launches, marketing funnels or social media strategies are required… those things all take time and are a lot of work to create. Not to mention some of us don’t like all the fancy marketing stuff (sheepishly raises my own hand)

#3 – It is the best way to develop and test your own stuff! If you do have a desire to offer training, create a membership or a coaching/consulting program, one of the best ways to prepare yourself and develop your own stuff is through 1-1 work. I worked 1-1 with clients for nearly 10 years before I launched my own training programs. (Not to say it has to take that long! But the experience of working directly with clients is invaluable when it comes to developing your own IP).

#4 – You can make a great personal income by offering 1-1 services! As my friend Keldie Jamieson said so beautifully in a recent interview – retainers are the ultimate form of recurring revenue. Long-term clients who pay you reliably month after month is a pretty dreamy thing. And all the money you make essentially lands in your pocket… you don’t need to pay for team, tools and all the fancy marketing stuff that other models require. (There are times I miss those days when most of the money I made landed in my pocket. )

The bottom line is this – there is nothing wrong with offering DFY 1-1 services so don’t let anyone tell you otherwise. You can create an amazing business, work with great clients and make good money. And you can do it for many, many years successfully.

And yes, if you want to evolve into offering other things such as training, memberships, consulting and the like then great! That’s been my own journey over the years and I totally get it… BUT don’t do it just because someone is telling you that “you should because DFY is dead” or is dangling a carrot of “everything is so much better when you offer trainings /memberships /coaching /consulting instead.” I can tell you from experience – the challenges when you offer these things are different but they are still very much there.

There are so many ways to build a successful business. The world needs DFY and if that’s up your alley then bring it on.