This is not uncommon. Client work trades a single boss for multiple ones, even if it means you get to have pizza and beers at work.
The way out is through. A smattering of ideas:
- Take some time away, even if just a day. Yes, I know you can't afford to: do it anyway, to get some perspective and distance. If you want to hurry up, you must first slow down. [1] Don't forget to get a good night's sleep, too.
- Fire the clients that create the most stress or who are questionably profitable. Take a loss (in profit and/or reputation) if you have to. The first thing to do when you're in a hole is stop digging. (As suggested by others: drastically raising your prices is also a good way to separate wheat from chaff.)
- Don't shoulder it all yourself. Get whatever outside help you can from friends and family, and most importantly, be open with your employees about your circumstance. If you're upfront about where you're at, I think you'll be surprised at their willingness to problem-solve. If not, at least you were straight with them, and you can part ways amicably; if you put on a brave face while bullshitting them, they're much less likely to give you some slack.
Above all, don't forget that perfection is impossible, in your craft or in business, and you will never be able to please everyone, either clients or employees. You've got more spine than you think, or you wouldn't have started this enterprise. Use it, and make the hard decisions you don't want to make. You will hate doing it, but that dread in the pit of your stomach will finally go away.
The way out is through. A smattering of ideas:
- Take some time away, even if just a day. Yes, I know you can't afford to: do it anyway, to get some perspective and distance. If you want to hurry up, you must first slow down. [1] Don't forget to get a good night's sleep, too.
- Fire the clients that create the most stress or who are questionably profitable. Take a loss (in profit and/or reputation) if you have to. The first thing to do when you're in a hole is stop digging. (As suggested by others: drastically raising your prices is also a good way to separate wheat from chaff.)
- Don't shoulder it all yourself. Get whatever outside help you can from friends and family, and most importantly, be open with your employees about your circumstance. If you're upfront about where you're at, I think you'll be surprised at their willingness to problem-solve. If not, at least you were straight with them, and you can part ways amicably; if you put on a brave face while bullshitting them, they're much less likely to give you some slack.
Above all, don't forget that perfection is impossible, in your craft or in business, and you will never be able to please everyone, either clients or employees. You've got more spine than you think, or you wouldn't have started this enterprise. Use it, and make the hard decisions you don't want to make. You will hate doing it, but that dread in the pit of your stomach will finally go away.
[1] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Festina_lente