For most of us running an online business, or for those who have just started with a new business venture, setting boundaries with family, friends and clients can be daunting. When you think about you having full control of your schedule, you might think that you’ve got a lot of time in your hands and little excursions are harmless, but the truth is, all these distractions add up. And if you want stability in your business, you shouldn’t be swayed by these external interruptions!

In this episode, we’ll be talking about a few scenarios that might be familiar to you:

1. A client is agitated that you didn’t reply to an email they sent at 5pm on Friday - and it’s Saturday morning…

 You’re clients and customers are a key group that you must establish boundaries for.

Actually, clients love boundaries - not because they love rules or being told what to do, but because boundaries make it really clear what they should expect and they’ll feel confident and comfortable with the process of working with you.

2. You’re STILL waiting on content from your client, so far the project has been delayed for over a week.

Delayed projects are costing YOU money, so you need to put a stop to this NOW. To do this, you need to outline your requirements and expectations of the client.

• If there’s certain things you need from a client before you can complete a project, make sure they know upfront before starting the project with you.
• Make sure you outline these expectations in a few different places to really hit home how important it is in order to get their project completed on time. Some places could be:
• • Your website
  • Your inquiry pack *
  • Your welcome pack *
  • Your contract *
  • Your site policies
  • Your ‘starting project’ email
  • The client portal (if applicable)
• Have a way of enforcing requirements and essentially ‘penalise’ clients if they don’t meet the expectations and their responsibilities outlined in the contract they signed.

3. Friends and family call you at 11am on a Tuesday to see if you’re free for a coffee.

If you are working from home, even if it’s just a day or two a week, people in your life will struggle with the thought that you are, in fact, working. It’s pretty challenging, but when it comes to anyone who might come into contact with you or your brand, establish work hours and make it clear that you have limited availability during that time. 

4. You just spent the last 4 hours working on a business card for a family friend - unpaid of course.

While there’s key people that you will want to help when they need it - like parents, siblings, children - you are not obligated to help every man and his dog start their own business, free of charge.

5. It’s 7pm and you’ve been working for 12 hours straight. For the 5th day in a row.

Just because you could do something, don’t mean that you have to or that you should.

We need to reframe no’s as not being selfish or mean, but as being protective of your most precious resources: time and energy. It’s ok to put boundaries around your time and what you do with that time. In fact, it’s paramount for your health, your wellbeing, your family’s growth and development and surprise, surprise, your business!

So if you want more control over your most precious resources - your time, money, and energy! - this is an episode you wouldn’t want to miss. Tune in below!