Sometimes, you need to fire a client for the greater good of your business. This is a hard lesson to learn, but something that every small business owner must acknowledge to keep themselves and their team sane. As we continue our examination of Inc. Magazine’s 25 Ways to Jump Start Your Business, we’ll try to understand why it’s sometimes necessary.

I know, it seems completely counter intuitive for you to fire someone who gives you money. But sometimes, it’s just not worth it. There are clients who simply demand more than you can deliver. You end up trying to stretch yourself thin to accommodate their needs.  They’re unhappy because you aren’t giving your best service. Ultimately, it’s best for both of you to part ways.

In other cases, these problems extend beyond a mismatch of demands and resources to a client who’s simply abusive. Unfortunately, there are nasty people in the world. If someone is cursing at you over the phone, reducing your staff members to tears on a regular basis, and making your life a general hell, all the money in the world isn’t worth it. Ask if it’s better to have a demoralized, exhausted team and keep one client, or to have a happy team that can give better service and drum up new clients?

This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t make every effort to work through your issues with a client and to leave on good terms. But sometimes, you simply need to let them go–for your own good.