Have you set boundaries within your business?
If you aren’t sure, the answer is no! And if you haven’t yet, you NEED to!
Boundaries are life-changing, life-giving, game-changers. Firm boundaries help you operate and function as your best possible self—both in your personal life and your business.
When you don’t have any boundaries in place, you might notice that you feel drained, low on energy and burned out. You know you’re not serving your clients to the best of your ability, and you may become resentful of clients who put demands on your time. As a result, other areas of your life will start to suffer.
Whether you are just starting in your business or you’ve been at it for a while, it’s not too late to implement boundaries that will serve you and your clients. Not sure how? Here are a few different boundaries you can set in your business.
Set office hours:
Setting (and keeping) office hours is probably the best step to create a work/life balance. Having set hours shows you are serious about owning your work and protecting your time. When you’re serious and respectful about your work time, others will do the same. Make your office hours known and visible. Add them to your website, social media pages, email signature and even your contract. If you’ve been in business for a while and you’re new to set office hours, it may take existing clients some time to get used to following them. Give advanced notice on when they will start, and be consistent in following them. Eventually, your clients will follow suit.
Email, text and phone boundaries:
Once you have your office hours set, you mustn’t answer messages outside of that time. Clients will expect that whenever you answer at every hour of the day (or night). Owning a business does not mean you have to be available 24/7. Have set times in the day that you check emails and messages with the understanding that messages will be responded to in X amount of time (within 24-48 hours).
If you don’t answer business messages during personal time, it’s important to avoid personal messages during work time (unless, of course, it’s an emergency).
When you cut out the distraction of messages, you will be shocked at the amount you can get done and how productive you can be.
Non-negotiables:
Take some time to determine what your non-negotiables are. Remember, you are in control of your time (that’s one of the perks of owning a business). This could be only working four days a week or specific days/weeks off during the year. Non-negotiables are personal to you and don’t require an explanation.
As your business grows and changes, you may notice that your boundaries change. Don’t be afraid to adjust things as needed.
As the new year approaches, it’s the perfect time to implement new strategies to help you achieve all of your goals. Of course, protecting yourself and your time should be at the top of the list for 2022!
