Here’s why this is important: Running your own business means you often have to wear a lot of ‘hats’ that can make you feel like you’re run ragged and constantly chasing your own tail, but it doesn’t have to be this way.
Read on to find out some simple tips that will help you to feel in control of your business, rather than it controlling you!
I’ve had a lot of clients lately telling me they don’t feel ‘professional’ when it comes to having a business.
Running around serving clients, not knowing what paperwork you need, feeling like you’re chasing your tail when it comes to social media and losing track of your schedule are just some of the tell-tale signs. If those are things that sound familiar you may well be feeling the same.
Now don’t get me wrong, we all feel like we’re winging it to a certain extent. I’m not saying you need to reach a point where you feel ‘pro’ at every aspect of running your business – I think that’s virtually impossible!
But I do think there are some simple things you can do to start to feel a bit more in control of where your business is going, to value your time more and present yourself in the best possible light when it comes to owning a wellness business. And it doesn’t involve buying business cards.
Set boundaries with your time
The biggest issue I find with my clients is that they aren’t valuing their time enough. Running around making things easy for the people they serve, but really hard for themselves means they’re left frazzled and losing time travelling or working when they don’t want to.
In order to feel more in control and professional you need to set boundaries with your time. Allocate days when you are available for appointments and days or times when you aren’t.
I love using Meeting Bird [UPDATE: This service was discontinued December 2020] to send to clients to book times with me, because it means I’m in control of when my diary is open. Personally, I love to keep Fridays free for content creation and catching up on admin, and I usually work with Lauren on Tuesdays on my retreat business The Reset. So that’s 3 really clear days in the week when I’m willing to do client calls.
A big part of this is trusting that the clients will keep coming, even if you make things ‘difficult’ for them. By limiting your availability you aren’t risking losing them, I promise. In fact I’d like to argue that by setting clear boundaries, you make yourself look more in demand and more professional – cementing the idea in the prospect’s head that you’re the one for them. Win win.
Get an invoice template and a basic expense tracker running
It’s so easy to lose track very quickly of how much you’re bringing in and how much you’re spending in your business unless you keep on top of it right from the start.
If you’re new to working for yourself like I was a couple of years ago, this will be an alien concept but when you need to get your head around quickly.
I’ve got a very simple Word based invoice template that I use to send to clients when asking them to send payment via bank transfer. Remember to keep a track of invoice numbers so each one has a unique reference.
I’ve use a very simple Excel spreadsheet to track both income and expenses.
Keeping everything together in one place and making sure you’re updating this daily or weekly will mean you’re constantly on-top of your finances and don’t have to sit for days doing it when the tax deadline comes around. Trust me, you’ll thank yourself later.
Be clear about your weekly tasks and schedule them in
I recently realised that my regular tasks were really beginning to run away with me and starting to make me feel quite disorganised and stressed when they weren’t getting done.
To overcome this I took the time to sit down and write out all the regular weekly things I want to do in order to promote and create content. This didn’t take long but gave me a much clearer idea of what needs to be fitting into my schedule each week.
I am now scheduling these tasks in across Monday-Friday, slotting them in around my other commitments. Breaking them down individually and allocating a small window of time each day to get them done keeps everything ticking over nicely so I know I’m on top of things.
What do you think? How do you feel more professional in your business? Will you be taking on board any of these tips and ideas?
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