Everybody, I talk to, wants a discount. I hate discounts, I am tired of discounts, unless I receive the discount. But lately, it feels like I am so much more on the receiving end of the asking for discounts.

Not of my own choosing, but Canada Revenue Agency – CRA, the Canadian Income Tax people, have dictated that I make a profit! No, I am not kidding! As a small business without any other employee, other than the owners, we only have 3 years to turn a profit or…

If within 3 years, I cannot make a profit, Canada Revenue Agency, will reclassify my business as a hobby and I will have to pay taxes on all of my business expenses.

I don't know why, but one day during a phone negotiation, I don't even remember which one, I came out with this phrase:

– Syv Ritch

I could not afford to work for peanuts, pay the mortgage, feed the cat, feed the dog, and the kids. It completely stopped the other guy cold. He started to stumble on his words. He couldn't say: I want you to go out of business. He realized, he may have known before, that the job could not be done for such a low-ball amount.

Now, whenever somebody is starting to go “too low”, I always reply:

1. Nobody has every replied: Yes, we want you to go out of business!
2. A few times, people have realized what they were asking, and I even got some of these photo shoots.