Business Hours - Yes, I have some!

I’m sure that most of my clients realize that I work from home. I’m mainly a one-woman operation, with literally hundreds of other designers at my disposal for subcontract work, should I need it. So it’s the best of both worlds in a small home-business setting, with large corporation resources. What could be better?! How about regular business hours - that I actually adhere to.

The downfall to working from home - is the “always working” part. It’s easy to slip down to the office, pop on the computer “just to check email” and find yourself WORKING at all hours of the day and night. Before you know it, you’re not sleeping, the family is complaining….. you get the idea.

I’ve always had business hours posted on my web site, but I doubt many clients take the time to double check those hours before calling, or emailing and wanting an immediate answer. Then there’s the issue of time-management. I have a couple web site deadlines looming and I needed uninterrupted work time. So what was I to do?!

I took control of my phone. We have internet based phone service and one of the features was Do Not Disturb. I am able to schedule certain times of the day (even which days of the week) that I do not want my phone to ring, and for all calls to go directly to voice mail. Yet, if it’s a true emergency, there are instructions on how folks can get through - of course, I still have the option to see who is calling and let it go to voicemail. ;-)

In addition to having calls go straight to voicemail after business hours, I can also set calls to Do Not Disturb at any point throughout the day. Take today, for instance; I had a site that I absolutely had to work on. So I set the phones to go to voicemail and got some work done!

Perhaps someday I will have a secretary or assistant, but until then, I have to micro-manage my time to wear all the “office hats” and get it all done. Managing my business hours and phone calls is just another way for me juggle all that I do.

October 13, 2005 | Filed Under Uncategorized 

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