Setting Your Boundaries

We have all probably read an article or heard about setting our personal boundaries; however, have you thought about setting your business boundaries? So many business owners seem to throw boundaries out of the window when it comes to their businesses, especially those who provide a service.

There is this fear that we all go through that if we set boundaries, then we are not going to find clients. Or, if we do set boundaries, we ignore them because of the same fear.

Merriam-Webster’s Collegiate Dictionary (Tenth Edition), defines boundary as something (as a line, point, or plane) that indicates or fixes a limit or extent.

As a business owner, you must set your boundaries with a fixed limit of what is acceptable for you to continue to do business. If you want to be miserable in your business, you might as well have stayed in your job working for someone else.

I have officially been in business since 2002 and full-time since 2003. In that time I have had to let go of only four clients based on the boundaries that I set for my business. I let two go because of my boundaries about being paid on time and two others because of my boundaries on communication and respect.

What is amazing is that by sticking to my boundaries business did not drop off, it picked up. Not everyone is meant to work together and on occasion both sides will discover they made a mistake when they agreed to work together. Instead of trying to manipulate each individual’s boundaries to fit the other, which rarely works, it is better to part ways and find clients that can work within your boundaries. There is no reason to work in an environment where you and your client are consistently going to feel angry, hurt, or frustrated.

So, how do you go about setting your boundaries and enforcing them?

1. First, decide what you want when working in relationship with your clients. Look at what you want in a general big picture way and then drill down to the details of the big picture.

2. Second, determine how you can be flexible with your boundaries when needed. Everything is not black and white. You need to be able to know where you are willing to be flexible and what that looks like, as long as it does not completely cross the line of your boundaries. Of course, there are some boundaries where you will feel you cannot be flexible at all.

3. After setting your boundaries, make sure as clients come on board they know what some of those boundaries are. This is usually covered under a document such as a Policies and Procedures Agreement or Contract. These would be your “hard” boundaries, such as office hours, when you get paid, late fees, when service is stopped if not paid, etc.

4. If you are a service provider, there are some boundaries that would not be in your Policies and Procedures Agreement or Contract. For a lack of a better term, I’ll call these your “soft skill” boundaries. These are boundaries on how conflict will be handled, how communications will be handled, what type of respect you require in partnership with your client, etc. It is important to go over these with your client before you start working with him or her.

5. When clients cross a boundary, remind them of your boundaries and what you need from them. Sometimes people forget or they don’t realize they have stepped over the line, especially when dealing with communications and respect. When it comes to communications and respect, everyone’s definition is a little different.

6. If the behavior continues, bring it to their attention again. If it continues after a couple warnings, then it is time to let the client know that if the behavior does not change, you will have to end the partnership. The partnership is now operating outside the parameters of the boundaries you have set for your business.

7. Remember, there isn’t a need to debate the issue with your client. Your boundaries are your boundaries. They are what you have set for your business. Give your client 30-60 days notice, or whatever you feel comfortable with, and stop the partnership before it gives you ulcers.

Knowing your boundaries, setting them for your business, and sticking to them, will allow you the enjoyment of being in business.

When you finish this article, stop for a moment and write down at least five firm boundaries for your business. Post these somewhere on your desk so you can see them every day. If they are “hard” boundaries, incorporate them into your Policies and Procedures Agreement, or Contract. If they are “soft skill” boundaries, read them every day so they become engrained into your psyche and you can say with full confidence, “This is my business and these are the boundaries for my business, and for working with clients.”

About the Author
Copyright © 2005 Naomi Skarzinski, CPVA and Top Shelf VA Services. Top Shelf VA Services is a virtual assistant administrative support service that collaborates with successful and professional small businesses, providing first rate assistance for a virtual world of difference! To sign up for Naomi’s free Top Shelf Virtual Report!, visit http://www.topshelfva.com.