5 Ways to Set Boundaries in Business
It’s been a minute since I’ve written a new blog post and while I am SO excited to get back to being consistent with it, I’m giving myself grace for being less-than-perfect and getting too busy trying to juggle all of the things and allowing myself to forgive myself and practice grace in that way. While I haven’t been blogging, I’ve been spending more time with my family, hitting ground-breaking income months, and focusing on my clients’ experiences. So with that said, I’ve nurtured a lot of other areas of my life that wasn’t getting my full attention.
I’ve realized while doing this, and while making more money than I ever have before, the only thing that has changed is how I stand and hold my boundaries like a boss. Let me start by saying this: I am the DEFINITION of a people-pleaser. I worry and worry and worry about people liking me (especially my clients who I adore) so it used to be a struggle for me to stick to boundaries. But lately, I’ve realized that at the end of the day, protecting my energy is not only allowing me to create better, more beautiful work - it’s allowing me to be a better partner, a better sister, a better friend, a better daughter, and a better hire for my clients.
When people used to tell me to set boundaries I’d kinda nod and keep walking. I mean, I love what I do. Seriously. I feel like my business is a part of me and so trying to separate myself from it seemed silly. But then, I realized how incredibly important it is to take a step back, take a break, and still live life. Because no matter how much we love our businesses, our business can’t be our entire life. We are meant to do more than just work. And it’s taken me a while to realize that.
So, with that said, here are five ways I’ve learned to set boundaries in my business that have ultimately made me wealthier and happier.
Tell clients how you want to communicate.
This is different for everyone - but think about the ways clients will communicate with you that you find yourself dreading. I don’t keep my phone around me while I work so I can focus. So, if clients text me, I have to screenshot the text and send it to my email, which usually results in a super long delay in getting back to them since I won’t even see it until that evening typically. I find that it’s really hard for me to remember to respond to texts, and having clients call without scheduling through Calendly can throw off my entire day because typically those calls last 45-minutes and I schedule my entire day out hourly first thing in the morning and a lot of times they end up overlapping. When I first started in business I allowed client communication in every single way and I realized that it ultimately was leading me to not serve my clients as well because I was trying to juggle all the things- Facebook messenger, Instagram DM’s, Voxer, voice messages, text messages, unscheduled phone calls, etc.
So now, the solution to all of this was letting clients know how I want them to communicate with me. I use Voxer for the in-between calls back-and-forth, I use email for edits/ revisions/ everything else, and I will happily hop on a call anytime, as long as it is scheduled through my Calendly link so I can plan for it and it won’t overlap the other things I have going on. If it’s just smaller questions, texts are totally fine, just nothing time-sensitive. Setting this boundary has been huge for me because I feel so, so much less attached to my cell phone and like nothing is “urgent.”
Figure out specific times a day you want to check your email.
My inbox can sometimes feel like my to-do list and I swear I could get stuck in it for 8+ hours a day and get nothing else done. Now I look at my to-do list for the day and schedule in 4 times to check my email and spend 30 minutes in my inbox responding to requests, questions, feedback, anything in there. This has been huge in helping me focus on the project at hand because instead of keeping the tab open throughout the day and ultimately panicking anytime I saw the number 1 pop up next to my email with an unread message.
Set specific work hours.
My office hours are 9-5 EST. Sometimes I work a little earlier or later, but that is the only time I will be available to be present or respond to requests. Those are the same work hours as my partner, so I can turn off when he gets home for the day and not be stuck to a computer. Giving myself a schedule has allowed me to unapologetically log off after 5 and on the weekends. The entire reason I became an entrepreneur was for freedom - not to be stuck behind a computer all day and not spend any time being present with my family.
Say no, or say yes, and charge.
This is still a hard one for me and I’m still working on it, but guys, I truly have to value my time and protect my energy and I get a lot of requests that I truly cannot energetically fill. I get inbox messages from people wanting to pick my brain over coffee for business, which I love, but now, I charge for it. I also get messages on people wanting to hop on a call and brainstorm ideas, or to come to certain events, or do design work for free in exchange for an Instagram post, you name it.
But, before saying yes or no to anything, I think of the bigger picture and ultimately what I want my life to look like. For me - I want freedom. I want to be present with my loved ones. I want to spend time with my family and feel the joy and the love that comes from the little day-to-day moments. I want to be financially secure and financially free with a comfy savings account that allows me to travel, take time off if I want, and experience life. I want to live more and get better at work/life balance. I want to be a mother one day who can take her kids to their sports practices without being glued to her phone.
So, with that bigger picture in mind, I have to ask myself with every request if saying yes will get me more towards that goal. If the answer is no, then I say no, and I don’t allow myself to feel guilty about it. The more I say no ultimately can be the thing that allows me to serve my clients better, and I can’t do it all.
Write down your job description for yourself, and if you feel guilty, refer back to it.
This has been a game-changer for me. The branding process is a super emotional one, and I realized that super early on. I outline clear deliverables and expectations in my contract, and I refer back to that when needed. At the end of the day, I have to remember that my job is to design something incredible and impactful for my client, serve them well, and help them build their business.
I also have to remember that my job is not to be a business coach or a therapist. While I always try to be here for EVERYONE, especially my clients and friends I’ve made in the entrepreneur community, I can’t spend my days advising for free behind the computer screen to people trying to build their business. That’s not what I get paid to do. The negative space that can create and the extra added work can affect my creative process, which is something I truly have to protect.
So, while sometimes I know setting boundaries can feel/sound harsh, ask yourself what really matters to you, and what you can truly do to set your day-to-day actions to be in line with that ultimate goal.
Xo
Karima
