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You want a successful business as a WAHM, but you don’t want to be overworked. How many clients is too many clients?

I’ve recently been looking at ways to change my WAHM business. Something happened with an editor, and it led to me realizing that my time was done with a site. I just needed to think about what I wanted to do.

So, I looked for new clients. It didn’t take long to land some new clients, both in the world of work and in the world of dog-walking. Now I’m back to being full, and I’ve realized that I can’t take on any more work—although I do have a problem with saying no at times.

I have had to put my own projects on hold a little bit while I get my balance back in order. Are you feeling the same? Have you met your client quota? Here’s how to tell.

You have too many clients if you can’t do the work

When you have new clients, you need to make a good impression. That means putting deadlines first*. You need to make sure you meet every single one of them—and I’m not talking about meeting it with minutes to spare. I like to show that I can do the work a day or two ahead of the deadline.

You can’t let former clients down, though. You need to show that you can keep everything in order, and if you can’t, it suggests that you’ve taken on too many new clients. Now you need to find a way to get the balance again.

I wouldn’t drop clients right away, though. It could be that you just need to find the routine again. I often know within a week or two if I’ve taken on too much, especially this time of year when the kids are back in school and their extracurricular activities. It takes time to get that balance, and you need to give it that time.

If, within a month, you’re still struggling, then you need to assess whether you need to drop a client.

MORE: How many clients should you have as a freelance writer?

You’re feeling stressed because of the amount of work you’re doing

Are you struggling with the level of work? You’re getting it done in time, but it’s taking a lot of mental energy. You’re stressed because you see each day piling up with more work.

This is a sign that you’ve taken on too many clients. You need to take a step back and assess what you really want and enjoy.

Again, I do say to give this some time. As a WAHM*, there is so much going on at the same time. As you change your client list, you will end up finding a new balance is needed and that takes time. You also want to factor in any seasonal shifts that may be causing stress. This time of the year is always stressful for me because fall TV is back (entertainment journalism), schools are back, and there’s the extracurricular activities.

Once you’ve got your routine back in order, you’ll want to assess your stress levels. Are they back to somewhat normal, or have you taken on too much work?

There isn’t an answer in terms of number of clients you have. I wish I could say to you that something like 10 clients is the max you should aim for, but it’s going to depend on numerous factors, including how much you charge. So, you need to assess by your workload and your deadlines.

MORE: Should you start a new business as a new mom?

How many clients are too many clients for you? Let me know the signs in the comments below.