The importance of setting boundaries

Many soloists fall into the trap of saying yes to business that they should really be saying no to. To avoid this happening, you need to understand the importance of setting boundaries in your business.

I call taking on business that you really shouldn’t take on as being in “the yes trap”.

For example, saying yes to:

Business which involves excessive amounts of time in ratio to what you have charged.
A demanding client who drains time and resources.
Business which is well outside the core focus of your business.

I can recall making this mistake frequently when I first started out in business. I still find myself doing it occasionally!

Why did I say yes to work that I really should have said no to?

I wanted as much experience as possible, no matter what shape it took.
I thought something is better than nothing.
I didn’t want to miss a golden opportunity … what if I accidentally said no to the perfect opportunity.
I wanted to impress and please all prospects.
Fear … what if I say no and then no other work comes along?
The potential for more work resulting from an opportunity.

The consequence of not setting boundaries is that I wasted a huge amount of time and energy for little reward. It limited my ability to take on more good business as well as limiting my time to work on my existing business. I ended up feeling frustrated, unvalued and unhappy with the work and I may not perform at my usual high standard as a result.

I have learnt many valuable lessons by saying yes when I shouldn’t have, which prevents me from doing it so often now:

There is always more business – so don’t be afraid of saying no.
Saying no builds respect for the work you choose to do.
Setting clear boundaries is important.
I am a better coach when I am doing the sort of work I really enjoy.
I have limited time and energy – so it is important to respect what sort of work I invest myself in.

The yes trap is an important part of the learning curve of business. It helps you gain clarity about what sort of business you really want to take on and understand the importance of setting boundaries to support that.

Are you in the yes trap? If you are, consider what you need to do to step out of it…

Linda Anderson is a Certified Professional Coach dedicated to helping people live bold and rewarding lives. Linda has an energetic and direct style of coaching which suits people who like to be challenged.

7 comments | Add your own

If , as soloists, we're not true to your own ideals and beliefs, then we are really just commission-only employees, aren't we? Grant Hyman from Sydney | Read my articles
Dude have you ever ran a small business?
If it means growing the business you not only bend over backwards you bend any way that pleases the customer. sorry but IMHO any other advice is uninformed BS. Your only advantage as a small business is your ability to form yourself / company exactly to the needs of the customer. This EXACT match is what attracts customers to small businesses.
BTW if you can do this well you won't be a small business for very long, revenue growth and earnings will cure you of any problems that disrespectful customers create. robert talty from shanghai
Linda, when I started out working for myself, someone said to me if the person I am working for asks me to water his plants, at my going rate, while he is away, why not water the plants!! I think in the first year when there are gaps in work opportunities I was happy to 'water plants' metaphorically speaking. You are right though, as our business matures we need to set our own boundaries. How is the customer supposed to understand them, if we are not clear what they are ourselves? Heather Smith from Brisbane
a simple view; we are advised to set boundaries for our kids, parents, neighbours etc - seems reasonable to set boundaries for our business Garry Wells from Newcastle
I have always taken the view that if you have nothing to do you dont earn money. So if a job comes in even if you really dont want to do it, and you have nothing better to do, do it. However if you are busy and a job that you dont want to do comes in, you dont have to do it. 'tis as simple as that. patrick burgess from north ryde
What great, diverse, comments :) My personal experience was that it took a lot of trust and courage to begin saying no to work that didn't suit my business ... I had a lot of fear in the beginning. However, once I became clear about my boundaries and enforced them consistently the financial success of my business increased substantially rather than decreased. I also enjoy my business and the work I do a lot more now. I would never have had the awareness when I first started my business about what work I really wanted to be doing. Creating boundaries was an important milestone in developing a successful small business. Linda Anderson from Sydney, Australia | Read my articles
Hi Linda, I'm flying solo (but, with the support of a franchisor)... and, I'm finding myself doing exactly what you described. I'm taking on anything that comes my way and am investing enormous amounts of time and effort for opportunities which will not proceed or will not earn me any money... I justify to myself (and my husband who is interested in knowing when payday is going to arrive) that these experiences are extremely valuable in building my knowledge, establishing my processes, defining my prospects / opportunities and strenthening my confidence. I also believe that generating goodwill amongst these type of prospects, in my early days, will help generate future opportunities and referrals. JD from Sunshine Coast

7 comments | Add your own

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