How My Business Systems Help Me Set Boundaries

I’ve talked about setting boundaries before, but I want to share something different today. You know I’m a big system and automation gal. It’s what I built my business around! My business systems have been a lifesaver in many ways, but one of the biggest ways is by helping me set boundaries.

Late-night emails, scope creep, clients expecting an immediate response to every message or DM, your personal cell phone blowing up with business calls… all boundaries far too many business owners allow to be crossed. I’ve implemented several processes to help me set boundaries and stick to them. I hope they help you, too!

Dedicated Client Communication Portal

I tried only working through email. I tried Slack. I tried ClickUp dashboards. I tried everything! But nothing ended up working well enough for me. Then I found Kitchen.co. It allows me to have a single place to communicate, share updates and deliverables, and everything in between with my clients. They know everything related to our project will be communicated there. Kitchen.co also allows my team to stay in the loop of what’s going on and easily jump in to help when needed. It’s been a lifesaver to have everything in one place and not rely on email for client communication.

Dedicated Call Days

Hear me out. I know you want to be accommodating to your clients and accept calls whenever THEY are available. But you’re a business owner, too. You have a busy schedule, too. If you’re always available for clients, when do you have time for you? You won’t have time to actually do the work they need you to do. 

I only take calls on Tuesdays and Fridays. This allows me to have dedicated time away from having to “show up” or be present. My clients know that if we need to meet for a call, it will happen on one of these two days. I also blocked my calendar to only accept calls on those two days for discovery calls. My automation system in Dubsado allows me to only let potential clients book discovery calls on Tuesdays and Fridays.

I’m telling you… this has made the biggest difference in my productivity each week. I’m not constantly distracted by calls throughout the day, and I can focus solely on client work or calls. No hopping in between both. Try it out and see how it works for you!

CEO Days

A CEO Day is a day allll about you. It’s dedicated time to work on your business. Your business often gets pushed to the side when you have client work to do. This is a great opportunity to work ON your business, not just IN it. 

I dedicate Wednesdays to CEO days. I turn on my autoresponder, put on my comfiest sweats, and head to the library to work on my business. I let my clients know up front that I won’t be available for emails or support on these days. At a minimum, have a CEO Day at least once a quarter. 

Here are some examples of things you can work on during a CEO Day:

• Marketing: Work on batching marketing content like social, emails, blogs, podcasts, ads, etc. You can also spend time prospecting new clients.
• Finances: Make sure your books are up to date. If you have a bookkeeper, get updated reports to review. You can also work on budgeting and planning for the upcoming quarter.
• Review analytics: Check how your current marketing strategies are working for you and see if you need to make any adjustments.
• Internal Business Projects: Adjust your packages or pricing. Work on a new product launch, course, or service. 
• Website updates: Write sales page copy for a new service. Update your website’s SEO by checking for broken links, updating metadata, and fixing other issues. 

The possibilities are endless! This day is all about YOU. You don’t have to get everything done in one day. Small steps are still progress towards your goal. 

Client Communication Only During Office Hours

I use Dubsado Workflow Office Hours, so automated emails only go out during 8-5 pm. If I happen to work late, I use the Dubsado or Gmail schedule send feature to send my email during office hours the next day. I don’t want to disrupt my client’s office hour boundaries or get them used to hearing from me outside of office hours.

I’ve always been a fan of business systems, but these have really helped me stick to the boundaries I set with clients and myself. If you need help creating systems like these in your business, reach out to me! I’d be happy to set up these business systems so you can better stick to your boundaries, too. 

About Solution Integrators

To keep it simple, I’m Ashley, a Chief Systems Officer. I take your complex problems and find ways to simplify them. My goal isn’t just to save you time (saving you time is the easy part!) – I want to fully level up the way you interact, manage, and fulfill offers for your clients. I want to help you provide a cohesive experience. An experience that not only feels like quality but looks that way too. From onboarding to offboarding – I want to transform each phase of interaction from lead to signed client. Let’s work together!