WCP150 Archives Vol. VII, Company policies

Establishing company policies might sound like it would create distance from freelance clients, but it does the opposite, especially with your ideal clients.

Clear boundaries set a framework for clear expectations and positive work relationships and self care. If you know what you will and won’t do, it leads to better communication.

On the other hand, a lack of boundaries breeds feelings and behavior that tend to be regressive and that distances us from clients.
 
I have a friend who’s a solopreneur with an online retail business. He does everything:  designed the website, selects merchandise for sale, goes to the post office to ship something, replies to customer service messages, etc., without any outsourcing.

A customer asked him for something that he didn’t want to do. He wanted to say not but hesitated, as he thought the customer would perceive it as a personal slight. But saying, “It’s company policy” breathes some air into the situation. It’s not personal, it’s not about the client.

Many freelancers feel put on the spot with certain requests. They didn't realize they had a boundary or limitation until the other person crosses it, and then they feel compelled to say yes. 

As a freelancer, you may not think of yourself as a company, even if you are incorporated. It’s useful to think of work boundaries as company policies that your inner entrepreneur created for you. If somebody makes a request, you can say no on behalf of yourself as an individual, or on behalf of the writing business.

In this week’s episode of the Writing Coach Podcast, we look at what policies you might consider, how to set them up, why to have them, and what to do if you notice that you're not actually following your own policies. 

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More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast148