Do your know business boundaries, and do you set up business boundaries? If you haven’t, you really should. Because boundaries in business are life-changing, life-giving, game-changers.
You might ask what is business boundaries? Simply put, business boundaries are guidelines that you put in place so that you can do your best work, serve your clients powerfully, and still feel rested and energized.
The top 3 reason that you need to set business boundaries.
There are a multitude of reasons why you should be setting business boundaries. But here are the top three of which are broken down for you below:
1.Setting business boundaries gives you the ability to clearly communicate expectations with customers and clients so they will respect you and your time.
2.Setting business boundaries allows you to clearly define your negotiables and non-negotiables so you know when you could say no to your customers.
3.Setting business boundaries enables you to have both a life and a business and help you to balance your life.
WHEN SHOULD YOU SET BUSINESS BOUNDARIES?
ASAP!! setting business boundaries will change your life, while also giving you back your life!!
So, please, take it from me, and set those boundaries ASAP!!
BUSINESS BOUNDARIES YOU NEED TO SET THIS YEAR
Now that you know the importance of setting boundaries in your business, you’re probably pretty pumped to set some (or even change some). But maybe you’re not sure what boundaries you need to put in place…
I’ve outlined some of the business boundaries I’ve set for myself and my business below to give you a little inspiration and a point to jump off from!!
SET OFFICE HOURS
Setting (and keeping) office hours is probably the greatest step toward work/life balance that you will ever take. It means you’re serious about owning your work time and protecting your life time. And when you’re serious about your work time, others will be serious about your work time, too.
Office hours will also help you be more productive and focused. When you know your cut off time is X, you’ll be more inclined to make the best use of your working time (and less susceptible to distractions to boot)!!
In case you’re wondering: My office hours are from 10am – 4pm with flexible (uninterrupted) work hours from 8am – 10am and again from 4pm – 6pm.
Pro Tip: Make your office hours known. Put them on your contact page, in your email signature, on your Facebook page, in your Facebook group’s description, in the welcome packet you give your clients, and anywhere else you deem necessary. Use the Reminders app on your phone for when your office hours start and end if you have trouble sticking to/keeping track of them.
SET SCHEDULE BOUNDARIES
Schedule boundaries can be as easy as not scheduling any meetings or appointments on Mondays and Thursdays, only taking client calls on Tuesdays and Wednesdays, and having Fridays off. They can also be as complicated as having an A-Week/B-Week schedule where you work ON your business one week and IN your business the next.
In case you’re wondering: I have a monthly prep + plan + duty day on the first workday of every month that is non-negotiable. I don’t schedule meetings or appointments on Mondays. I try to only schedule work meetings or calls on Tuesdays or Thursdays and personal appointments on Wednesdays. And at least two Fridays out of the month are education days.
Pro Tip: Schedule everything so you know you have time for everything. And when I say everything, I mean everything. From checking and responding to email to interacting on social media to writing blog posts to client work to whatever other tasks you must do in your business. This ensures you get to all the important stuff without overloading your day or overwhelming yourself.