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Priorities-what's the most important?

13 replies

misskipper · 28/01/2015 16:09

Hi there,

I'm taking the 'working from home ' plunge later this year and hope to have several different clients who will all need things completed immediately! I will tadmit that I have an issue with time management. Mostly because I want to please everyone. I get overwhelmed at what is the most important thing to do first!
Smile
Do you have any tips for prioritising properly so I don't disappoint any clients?

OP posts:
InfinitySeven · 28/01/2015 16:11

What kind of work will you be doing?

I have some tips but they are probably relatively specific to the type of work that I do! Happy to share if it's similar, though.

acharmofgoldfinches · 28/01/2015 16:49

You say they will all NEED things completed immediately but actually they won't - they might WANT them immediately, but that isn't the same thing at all.

With regards to prioritising:

First rule is to always look after the clients you've already got. It's a lot easier to keep existing clients than it is to find new ones, so if you're working on something for Client A but new Client B comes along, then by all means find time to fit in work for the new guys, but not at the expense of looking after "your regulars".

Be realistic about how long it will take you to do something, and always add a couple of days to give you some wriggle room; it's not unreasonable to need a week to do something properly, and if you are doing stuff to a high standard then people expect to have to wait for it. Always give a day by when you expect to have work ready - don't say "I'll have that done soon", say "I'll have that with you by Thursday", so that you both have the same understanding.

If a client rings you in a flap, help out so long as you can do so without making work for another client late.

The best time management advice I've ever had (from someone else who runs her own business) is not to work from an enormously long "to do" list, as it tends to put you off and nothing gets done. Instead, pick three things for each day and just have them on the list for that day - I don't know why it works but it does!

Work out what your most productive time of day is - some of us are best first thing, some later in the morning and so on. Use that time for work you need to get stuck into, and fit all the little bits and pieces around it. If it helps have a set time each day for doing all the bits that don't take five minutes, just to get them out of the way.

When you're busy don't be afraid to leave the phone to go to voicemail, and get into the habit of not answering emails immediately unless they really are urgent. It's very easy to be derailed by something that could quite happily wait 24 hours to be dealt with - don't let other people dictate your day. If you might lose business by not responding immediately, have a voicemail/automatic email response that says "I'm out of the office at the moment but I will phone you back within 24 hours (or whatever)", and then do exactly that, but at a time that suits you.

And finally, make time for running the business, it's always easy to lose track of filing, accounts and so on when you are busy looking after clients. And then everything gets in a mess and takes twice as long because you can't find what you need.

Best of luck!

Merguez · 29/01/2015 20:42

Good advice here. I would say the key thing is to be really disciplined about email, and only answer it at the end of the day unless it is really urgent.

KiwiJude · 29/01/2015 22:35

acharmofgoldfinches has some great points.

Don't promise deadlines you can't meet, nothing will kill your business quicker. I always allow a time buffer when agreeing to a deadline for a project; depending on the size of the job it can be in minutes, hours or days. I've just done a quote for an urgent job at my express rate price. New client wants the job back by 6pm Saturday which is easily doable. I'll have it back to them by 6pm today but I haven't told them that. I also provide a maximum cost quote so if the job ends up taking a bit longer than it should for whatever reason I am covered.

Charge an express rate for that "urgent" work, it soon becomes apparent whether it really is urgent or if they just want it asap.

If possible set some standard work hours so you get into a routine. I try to do this but when my DH is away overseas I tend to work silly hours as I'm up anyway waiting to talk/skype. Plus we (me,Dcat and DPup) get to sleep in when he's away and we love that! :)

nolongernewbie · 30/01/2015 09:09

I totally agree about keeping existing clients happy. They is my no. 1 rule. If you have a great existing client - that can be worth 3 not-so-good clients.

nolongernewbie · 30/01/2015 09:12

#that not they

museumum · 30/01/2015 09:15

Allocate time slots to each bit of work and say to clients "I can do that on Wednesday mirning" for example and NOT "I'll do that right away". Keep a diary or use outlook and put in each big of work to a given time slot or day. It saves fading in the morning wondering what to do each day.
Also, don't accept work for more than 80% of your work hours as you'll need the other 20% for admin, invoicing, email and telephone calls.

Rowingdowntheriver · 31/01/2015 08:53

There is some good advice here that I shall take on board myself. I particularly like the idea of an out of office on a busy day as I tend to get drawn into answering emails as they come in.

I have another technique to add to what is already here. Draw a 4 box grid with urgent along one axis and important on the other. Things that are urgent and important should be done first. Things that are not urgent and not important should be taken off the list altogether. Then you just need to make a call on those in the urgent/not important and the important/not urgent categories.

LonnyVonnyWilsonFrickett · 03/02/2015 13:56

All of the above plus:

What is their deadline based on - if it's print (I'm a copywriter) or a pitch then it can't be moved so you need to be more responsive. Equally my clients understand if I have a print or pitch deadline for someone else!

Existing clients need to be kept happy. Well paying existing clients need to be kept happier. Well and fast paying existing clients need to be kept happiest of all...

Never say you are free, say 'hmmm I am booked this week but I think I can move stuff around.' Teach them to respect your time and get them used to the idea that you have a diary and workload to manage.

That said, don't be pissy - I get loads of work because I am very flexible and usually say 'yes'.

egnahc · 04/02/2015 19:14

Have your diary broken up into sections. Only take now or that can be allocate into a section within the clients required timescale

Saying that I am crap and work 7 days a week (part days at weekend an long hours in the week) - if there were 10 days a week i could fill them as well. I charge about 6 days a week on average- I once charged and worked 10 days in a week- it was awful.

Dont underestimate the amount of time you are doing stuff that you can't charge for- running the business- tendering, costing new work, invoicing, odd catch up email etc etc

KiwiJude · 04/02/2015 20:48

egnahc, I used to work most weekends too. It's so easy to get into the habit. I finally decided something had to give. One client I was doing a lot of work for at a reduced rate, I talked to them about increasing rate and they resisted. So I ditched them. A lot of stress and requirement to work weekends disappeared once they were gone. I was able to pick up a couple of other clients who are happy to pay full market rate and they more than make up for loss of the other client.

There's still times when I work weekends; usually if I am working on a weekend DH is working too, we'll both work away for some hours then go into town for coffee or wine :)

egnahc · 04/02/2015 22:17

Oh I dont work for any of mine at a reduced rate. If I dont want a job I quote high but sadly the last 2 have agreed to it! I have 2 rates but if effect they are the same considering expenses required etc

I do 10 days a year pro bono for charity. I then refuse to reduce for anyone- most of the companies I work for have charitable status and so reducing for charities would be a slippery slope.

KiwiJude · 05/02/2015 00:25

I was doing the work at a reduced rate as I had previously been an employee of that company and we had a relationship dating back almost 10 years. Turns out that didn't mean anything to clinic manager but it matters not. I don't do any reduced rate work now either, and have just offered pro bono hours to a charity I support.

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