Are You Growing Your Best Pumpkins? A Year End Client Review
The client who makes you smile and your accountant too
Picture this: you are reviewing your client list for the year. Some names jump off the page. These are the clients who pay on time, appreciate your work, and make you look good. Others drained hours, tested your patience, and left your margins thin.
The Desert Island Question is a simple exercise that helps you see the difference. Ask yourself: If you could only take one client into 2026, who would it be?
It is not just hypothetical. It shows who your giant pumpkins are, the clients worth your focus.
Why the 80 20 Rule Matters
Most businesses discover that twenty percent of clients generate eighty percent of revenue and profit. These are the relationships that fuel growth. The rest might keep the lights on but at a cost. Wasted time, emotional energy, and lost opportunities.
Identify Your Giant Pumpkins
Use the Ideal Client Profiler framework to note:
Who pays on time without drama
Who trusts your expertise
Who gives referrals
Who aligns with your mission and values
Documenting this helps you replicate your best clients instead of chasing the wrong ones.
How Non Ideal Clients Drain Resources
Chasing every opportunity feels safe, but it carries a hidden cost. Late payments, endless revisions, and misaligned expectations pull you away from high value work. Profit First shows which clients improve margins and which quietly reduce them.
Steps for a Cleaner, Clearer Client List
Rank your clients using the Top Client Assessment framework.
Create a keep, nurture, or release list.
Focus your marketing and energy on your giant pumpkins.
Check your client profitability.
Curious which clients add the most to your bottom line?
Our CFO Circle Membership can help you assess and plan for a more profitable 2026.