Learning When To Say NO

As a business owner, the journey of entrepreneurship is much like riding a rollercoaster: lots of twists, turns, and unexpected loops, but amidst this chaos is one skill that stands out as a secret weapon: knowing when to say “no.” 

In a world where “yes” seems like the way to go, especially in a competitive landscape, knowing when to decline certain opportunities, requests, or responsibilities can be crucial in maintaining your business focus as well as sustainable growth. Setting boundaries in your business relationships can be a game-changer to your success and health. 

Setting Clear Boundaries

In service-based businesses, setting clear boundaries is key to staying professional and keeping clients happy. It might be tempting to say yes to every request and every client, but that can quickly lead to burn-out and resentment over what you’re good at. For example:

• Limit Your Services - Think about what you do best and stick to it. Set your boundaries on the services you offer and what responsibilities those entail so you are not stretching yourself too thin in areas you do not thrive or want to offer.
  
  I recently did a rehaul of my verbal identity for JDP Consult and with that came a revamp of the services I offer to make it even clearer what each type of client project entails. I cannot stress enough how important it is to identify & be clear with what you offer as a service-based business so you don’t overstretch yourself. 
  

• Communication Channels - establish preferred communication channels and response times with your clients so you can manage expectations effectively. For example, if you prefer all communication over email or scheduled call only, make that clear so you aren’t phoned up after business hours randomly.
  
  I communicate with my clients solely via email for project communication, Slack for quicker messaging and questions, and scheduled video calls for project updates and presentations. I don’t give out my personal phone number to clients as I am very protective of my work/life balance.
  

• Working Hours - Set boundaries around your working hours to maintain not only a healthy work-life balance for you, but also to better manage expectations of your clients. Let clients know when you are available to meet, when you’ll be working on their projects, and when you’re off the clock.
  

• Project Timeline - establish realistic timelines and milestones for each of your projects with clients! This can help better manage their expectations and ensure projects are completed on time.
  
  All of my projects usually are set time periods with defined scheduling within that time period to provide more structure to my service offering so my client knows when something is going to be worked on. 

These are just a few examples of the types of boundaries that you can set for your business and clients to not only protect your time and resources, but also cultivate a professional reputation and build stronger relationships with your clients. 

At the end of the day: communication is key. 

As a service provider, your expertise is your most valuable asset. It’s incredibly important to recognize that not every single opportunity will align with you or your business — whether that be in the type of client requesting work with you, or even the hourly or timeline requests. Saying no to projects that fall outside of your boundaries just shows your commitment to delivering excellence in what you’re good at. 

There’s not only a professional benefit to this though. Setting these types of boundaries can also be very beneficial to your own personal mental and physical health and ensure that you can sustain long-term success. Not only will you enhance your overall quality of life by keeping with those boundaries, but you’ll also be able to ensure you can continue to deliver and operate professionally at your optimal capacity. 

By navigating this balance between seizing opportunities whilst remaining true to your own core values & business goals, you are prioritizing clarity, expertise and your well-being.

Because by saying no to the wrong opportunities, you’re opening the door to the right ones. 

Here’s to setting clear boundaries!