10 Boundaries for Small Biz Babes
If you are a small business owner, or someone running a project, or a household,, this article might be helpful! I’ll outline a ten key boundaries that have helped me cope with overwhelm, imposter syndrome, financial anxiety and burnout.
I’m coming up on my third year at Waveform and here are some impactful boundaries I’ve created for myself to maintain sanity and create a sense of stability. Some of these boundaries were very hard for me to establish! I am a recovering people pleaser and still struggle in my personal life to speak my truth and recognize fully when I want to do something and when I don’t. I’m about five years into a journey of consciously creating boundaries, building up my sense of self independent from others, and treating myself as kindly as I treat others – and creating Waveform has been an incredible source of positive reinforcement as I learn how to treat myself better!
On a personal level, that has looked quitting a job that felt bad, spending time with people who leave me feeling rejuvenated, starting a business, changing my relationship to alcohol, investing in gender affirming clothing/haircut, investing in vacations and travel, resting, unplugging, recognizing when I’m not enjoying an experience and distancing myself from feelings of obligation towards people/places/things.
All of this has happened in parallel with the business and I believe my growing ability to protect and listen to myself stems from the hands-on experience of creating and shaping Waveform.
On a professional level, here’s how I have enacted boundaries and take care of myself at work (in chronological order, because each experience led to the next).
Invest in automating tools.
Such as: booking software!
For the first three months, I was booking people manually through email. Juggling timelines, availability and bending over backwards – my brain was melting. I made my first investment that felt risky at the time ($144/year for Calendly). Two years later I upgraded that system (paying double and using Acuity) to automate deposits into my accounts, make the booking process more streamlined for clients, consolidate payment platforms and use promo codes, packages, and gift cards.
2. Non-refundable deposits.
Making sure my time is valued!
This one was a hard pill to swallow. I wanted to be understanding, especially when people came down with fevers the morning of - but I did the math and was loosing hundreds of dollars a month to last minute cancellations, a few no shows, COVID, other sicknesses, or repeated rescheduling. Having a non-refundable deposit protects my time and reduced this to nearly a non-issue. Especially as I have a sliding scale program, the few times a non-refundable deposit felt financially challenging for folks, I could point them to that program. Having a deposit to hold a person’s spot and pay for the time in advance is the norm with massage therapy, salons, work out classes and workshops - once I let go of trying to accommodate, I have found that most clients are very understanding of this policy!
3. Clear policies.
Cancellation, rescheduling, COVID protocol, the works!
Many times people will ask me about the cancellation policy, even though it’s written out in a few different places. Having a clear policy you can simply copy and paste into the email body reduces the mental effort of feeling like you need to justify, explain yourself or make an exception. If someone wants you to make an exception they can ask you outright. Often people will ask about the policy, I parrot it over email and that’s that. I actually created a policy page to point to when people had questions about masks and age limits. Having it all in writing makes it so much easier to stand by… and this translates to policies for your SELF and your relationships!
4. Asking students to remind me / help me remember things.
There’s too much stuff.
Part of Waveform’s framework is working away towards perfectionism and accepting failure as a kind of success in the art studio. This practice has led me to be more forgiving of myself when things fall through the cracks - and oftentimes those “things” are emails, texts, DMs, or things clients say to me that I don’t get down in writing or on the calendar, which acts as a mainframe for my grip on reality. By asking for support and acknowledging that sometimes I forget, or need a little nudge (email again, or text again, or remind me what we agreed on?), I include Waveform community in my experience as a small business owner. I may be a one-human show but audience participation is welcomed.
6. Labeling Tuesdays my “Protected Day.”
I might still work, but no one needs to KNOW that.
It’s hard to have a traditional weekend as a small business owner. I take phone calls, texts and DMs whenever, because my work phone is my personal phone and every thread of communication is a potential connection that helps sustain my business. Rather than beat myself up each “weekend” when I inevitably work, I have Tuesdays be the day I refuse to plan or commit to anything. I do my chores: laundry and cooking for the week, accounting and a bit of marketing, on Monday, so by Tuesday I have a relatively clear plate. I typically spend Tuesdays at the beach or in the woods with the holy trifecta: a book, a picnic and a playlist.
7. Masking in the studio
This boundary protects all of us.
In solidarity with the disability community and out of respect for my clients and myself, I mask in the studio. This ensures that the space remains accessible to immunocompromised folkx, and as a boundary for myself, it greatly reduces the risk of me getting COVID (again). I spend quality time in close proximity with about 50 people a month - and I never have to worry about an interaction in the studio spreading COVID.
8. Vacation responder is always on.
This is a recent one.
I used to feel bad about not getting to emails in a timely manner. Responding a week later, I often felt embarrassed and like an irresponsible person. Then I realized, if I could reframe that and remind clients that I’m often in the studio covered in clay, I have a weekend mid-week and I can’t hold expansive office hours because I’m busy running things, that reduced my anxiety. I now have a vacation responder with links, FAQ and some copy that gives folks an idea of how responsive Waveform is when it comes to email.
8. Fewer options.
Instead of 11 glaze options, you now have 5.
I used to offer 11 different glazes! And that was all well and good for people who love color and choices, but when it came to glazing 150 pieces a month, I was zipping around the glazing area creating 11 piles and holding way too much information in my head. I reduced the options and people are still very happy with their Waveform experience. Going from 11 to 5 glazes reduced my glazing time by about thirty minutes, which, over time, is a big deal!
9. Embracing silence.
Golden.
Enjoy this pensive photo of my friend’s cat. I talk a lot in class. I give you a tour, a demo, I give you tips, and walk you through relaxing, I tell you how to clean up. If someone comes in and wants to be quiet, there are stretches of silence - and that’s FINE! It’s nice to create a space where we can putter, create and explore in silence. More and more I embrace this and get comfortable with the quietude.
10. Capping class at 5.
A full house is a happy house!
I have eight wheels, and people are always asking me if I do larger classes. Waveform was born out of a desire to create an intimate studio that is inviting, welcoming and inclusive…. while it can be fun to have larger groups of people, I find that when I’m working with more than five people, it’s harder to notice emotional shifts, body language, ergonomic hiccups and beautiful failures (messing up is GOOD!) I have capacity to notice many of these things with smaller groups. This attention to detail creates open dialogue, opportunities for supported failure and lots of reflection. Smaller groups also mean I often get to know your hobbies / how you use your hands, discover community connections /overlap and get to know your learning style so I can customize my teaching in real time and for the future. Even though “I could make more money with bigger classes” (a Big Idea many people like to present to me), it’s not something that aligns with my values or teaching style at this time. Embracing that boundary helps me focus and refine my current processes.
What are some boundaries that have helped you in the last few years? How have those boundaries positively impacted your life? Are you a small business owner? Let’s chat small biz boundaries - get in touch! :)
