How to Set Boundaries With Clients for Greater Solo Success

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As solopreneurs, we often wear all the hats and that can make it tricky to balance keeping clients happy while protecting your time and energy. But here’s the secret: setting clear expectations and boundaries doesn’t just help you; it makes your clients happier in the long run too.

In this episode, we’ll cover practical strategies for creating win-win scenarios with your clients. If you’ve ever felt drained, overwhelmed, or even resentful in client relationships, stick around—this one’s for you!

So, be sure to tune in!

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Episode Transcript

Carly Ries: As solopreneurs, we often wear all the hats, and that can make it tricky to balance keeping clients happy while protecting our time and energy. But here's the secret. Setting clear expectations and boundaries doesn't just help you. It makes your clients happier in the long run too. So in this episode, we'll cover practical strategies for creating win win scenarios with you and your clients.

If you ever felt drained, overwhelmed, or even resentful in client relationships, stick around, or set boundaries, this one's

for you. You're listening to The Aspiring Solopreneur, the podcast for those just taking the bold step or even just thinking about taking that step into the world of solo entrepreneurship. My name is Carly Ries, and my co host Joe Rando and I are your guides to navigating this crazy, but awesome journey as a company of 1. We take pride in being part of LifeStarr, a digital hub dedicated to all aspects of solopreneurship that has empowered and educated countless solopreneurs looking to build a business that resonates with their life's ambitions. We help people work to live, not live to work.

And if you're looking for a get rich quick scheme, this is not the show for you. So if you're eager to gain valuable insights from industry experts on running a business the right way the first time around or want to learn from the missteps of solopreneurs who've paved the way before you, then stick around. We've got your back because flying solo in business doesn't mean you're alone.

Okay. So when this episode goes live, it will be the very end of 2024, and we'll be heading into the new year. And I think something that people always have a hard time with is managing client expectations or just keeping their clients in line if we're being honest. Sometimes people can go rogue. They really push the boundaries, and I think a good time saving tactic for the New Year and a good way to get more done is to really set those boundaries with your clients.

You tell them you do not respond after 5 PM. You do not get online until 8 AM. You do not respond on the weekends. Whatever works for you, you are in the driver's seat. And, honestly, every single time I've seen somebody try to implement these boundaries, they've been more respected for it.

Also, goes with when you raise your prices too. That can be a really scary thing, and people think they're gonna lose clients, but you have to know what you're worth. And if you say, hey. I've been doing x y z for you. You've built that trust with them in a year.

It's time to raise those rates. That's another way of establishing boundaries and setting expectations and just be as crystal clear as possible. Joe, I know I just kinda dove into the topic for today, but I'm so passionate.

Joe Rando: Well, it's great. I come to this topic from a different perspective. So I love what you said, but I think about when I think of managing client expectations is making sure that people wind up happy with the results of the engagement. So and everything that I needed to know about client expectations from that perspective, I learned from Star Trek.

And it's specifically Scottie on the original series. Okay? I know you probably have no idea what I'm talking about, Carly, but some people will and, everybody, it will make sense. I watched that show as a kid when it first aired and I loved it.

God, I'm a geek. But anyway, here's what I learned from Scottie. On every 3rd episode or so, captain Kirk would tell Scottie, the head of the engineering department, Scottie, I need phasers.

And Scottie would say, it'll take at least an hour, captain, because they'd already been hit by whatever, you know, they've been attacked. And Kirk would then say to Scottie, I need him in 30 seconds. And Scottie would reply, I'll do what I can, captain. And invariably, the phasers will be working in 30 seconds, and Kirk would end with, Scotty, you earned your pay for the week. And that sums it up.

It's like he set expectations that he knew he could exceed. Another example of this, my dad had a friend when I was younger, and let's call him Bob because that was his name actually. And Bob would promise the world to everybody. Right? And one day I heard my dad say, Bob, you promised so much that when you do the impossible it falls short.

And what I learned is that, again, you always want to underpromise and overdeliver. If I am sure I can get it done in 2 weeks, well, tell people 3 weeks, and then show up in 2 weeks and people are happy. I mean, sometimes that doesn't make sense, what I'm saying is as long as it's not gonna mess up somebody's schedule somehow or not give them what they need, if you build a little time in and come in early, people are like, wow, cool. And if you come in on time, people are like, wow, cool.

And if something goes wrong and you have to add extra time, you're not late out of the gate. Right? So this idea of building you know, setting the expectations for when it's gonna come or what it's gonna be, it's just a really good way to manage, expectations, make customers happier by underpromising and overdelivering.

Carly Ries: I just have 2 more things to add. 1, people kind of have low expectations, so you don't need to bend over backwards per se. You just need to do what you say you're going to do, which so many contractors, so many people don't stick to that. So if you can just stick to it, you're one step ahead of the game anyway. But the other thing I would say, your client benefits from these boundaries as well because if you say, don't recharge me until after 5 o'clock, don't reach out to me after 5 o'clock, and then they ping you at 8 PM, that may indicate that there is an actual emergency that you need to pay attention to because they know not to reach out unless it's an actual emergency.

So to avoid crying wolf from the client side, that's a good indication. Like, hey. We respect your boundaries usually, but you should know we need you really badly right now.

Joe Rando: Yeah. either a real emergency or it's one of those clients you probably don't wanna have anyway.

Carly Ries: Yeah. Exactly. So it's a win win. You learn one way or another. So if you are having trouble establishing those boundaries, take this as your sign to do it.

You'll you may lose a client. You may not. You may gain a client because of the respect they'll have for you. So roll the dice. This is your sign to do it.

So, if you like this podcast, which have you made it this far, we hope you do. Please leave that 5 star review. Subscribe on your favorite platform, including YouTube, and we will see you next time on The Aspiring Solopreneur. You may be going solo in business, but that doesn't mean you're alone. In fact, millions of people are in your shoes, running a one person business and figuring it out as they go.

So why not connect with them and learn from each other's successes and failures? At LifeStarr, we're creating a one person business community where you can go to meet and get advice from other solopreneurs. Be sure to join in on the conversations at community.lifestarr.com.