January is traditionally the month for New Year resolutions and fresh starts. Whether you’re looking to improve your personal life or business environment, resolutions are a great way to set goals for the year ahead… but setting boundaries can be just as, if not more, important to the success of your business.
Take responsibility for your current situation
Whatever levels of health and wealth you’re currently experiencing in your business – they are a result of YOUR efforts. Whether your business is currently exceeding your expectations or falling short of your goals, you NEED to take the responsibility for your current state of play.
Taking total ownership of your business is the first step towards propelling it forward. Spend some time writing down what is currently happening with your business. What state are your finances in? Are you getting in the clients you need? How about advertising and networking? Are you doing everything you can to reach your ideal customers and grow your business? Be honest with yourself about where you’re currently at – but don’t berate yourself if your current situation isn’t ideal.
Set suitable working hours
Being available 24/7 is NOT an ideal situation for your health or your business success. Decide what days you want to work and for how many hours on each of those days… and then ensure you share those working days and hours with all of your clients. Post them on your website, social media sites and even on your business cards. Set up a call answering service or an answering machine to record calls outside of those hours and, if possible, avoid checking (and answering) emails outside of those hours.
Set the right legalities in place
To ensure all of your existing and potential customers know your boundaries, you need to set up the right legalities for your business. This includes written documentation stating your various terms such as your terms and conditions of business, employment contracts, privacy and cookie policies for your website. Other paperwork you can implement includes business values, ethics and job descriptions and contracts for employees and outsourcers.
Boundaries aren’t just about setting invisible rules and regulations, they set everything out in black and white, so you can protect your business AND your time… leaving you to focus on business success.
What boundaries are you setting for your business in 2015? When it comes to outsourcing, do you shy away from those that don’t have clear, easy to read boundaries and procedures – or are you currently one of those people? What one boundary can you set up now, to help ensure YOUR business success? Why not share your thoughts and opinions on boundaries in the comments box below?
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