Q: With July 4th on a Saturday, half of my clients are taking this week off and the remainder next week. Now, I am between a rock and hard place with no time off until August. Please don’t tell me to plan ahead–I own the business! What else can I do?
A. The advantage of owning your own businesses scheduling the flow of work so that you and your employees can deliver excellent product and services. If this is your first year in business, you may let your clients dictate your schedule and you probably feel compelled to say, “yes” to build your business. However, if you are between a rock and hard place it’s important to consider how you got there:
- Have you re-confirmed your client meeting?
- What is the likelihood that your clients will cancel this week or next?
- Are your clients the “right” ones according to your business plan? Your value proposition? If no, are you using your time and expertise wisely?
- When was the last time that you said “no” to a client?
- Are you keeping your employees’ vacations “up in the air”? If yes, the quality of their work as well as their morale may begin to fray.
Note that sustainable client success evokes the ohhs and ahhs that we hear from the appreciative audience as the Fourth of July fireworks light up the sky. These incredible displays take months of planning and years of experience. So start now by
solidly committing to your August vacation and remember, July 4, 2016 will be on a Sunday.