Building Boundaries For Your Small Business

There is little that I love more than a creative photo shoot. I love photographing weddings, engagements, boudoir, travel, elopements, and telling stories with my camera. But I also love time spent with my husband, my family, my friends, time in nature, going for walks, Sunday morning spin classes, simple moments spent at home doing absolutely nothing, traveling, and precious “me-time.” Which is why boundaries for business is so very important. 

Not only is it important for your wellbeing and that of your relationships, it makes you better at what you do. It gives you the chance. to recharge, to grow, and to rest. 

Small business owners, especially creatives, tend to have odd hours and no set time for certain projects. It wasn’t until I booked by own engagement session and the photographer gave me his only available dates (weekdays only) that I saw the value in doing this for myself. Creating my own days for editing, blog photo shoots, and engagement sessions could be the key to keeping the balance in my own life. 

As a small business owner, especially as a photographer, many of my weekends are spent on photo shoots, at weddings, editing photos, and exploring with my camera. It’s all good stuff. But less and less of my time is spent in rest, enjoying home, and having quality time with my husband. I have seen so many photographers, epic creatives that have reached their highest potential, back away from photography due to burn out. I have seen it hurt their relationships and their health. I have seen many small business owners and creatives go in a different direction or even quit because they couldn’t find the joy in it anymore. And that has taught me a valuable lesson. I don’t want to end up looking for an escape from the life I am currently dreaming about. 

Small businesses need boundaries. We all do. If we’re constantly in a state of giving and spending all of our creative energy on pursuits for clients and others, we’re giving little love and care to ourselves and the people who matter most to us. When you say yes to someone else you’re saying no to yourself. 

During the week I work part-time at an office and the rest of my time is spent marketing, working on my blog and social media, prepping for photo shoots, speaking with clients, and editing photos. My weekends are often spent doing the same while trying to juggle making others happy and working on photo shoots. If something doesn’t change, I can see what the future holds. 

Of course, weddings are almost always on the weekends and I’m perfectly content with my choice to photograph them; overjoyed with the opportunity. However, many of the other things I let myself get pushed into on my “time off” are not urgent and can be done during the week, not on time that should be spent on my own wellbeing, doing what I want to do, and with the people that I love. Saying yes to these extra photo shoots and commitments that could be done on a weekday takes form the energy I need to be a better photographer and to focus on what I really need to do. 

Which means that I will not be doing engagement sessions on the weekends anymore. Of course, some exceptions have to be made (for example, I have a couple that live in two different states and the groom can only come into Connecticut on the weekends). For most, a weekday engagement may not be convenient for them with work and other obligations, but it is equally inconvenient for me to use up my only free time to accommodate someone else’s schedule. Engagement sessions only happen once in a lifetime so leaving work early one day or moving around time to accommodate it for a weekday is more than worth it. I would not expect a lawyer or another professional to take their personal weekend time off to meet with me; I would meet them during their working hours because I need their services and because I respect their time. It is about time that I start treating my own time with that same kind of respect. It is the best thing that I can do for myself, my marriage, and my clients as well. 

If you don’t respect your own time, how can you expect anyone else to? 

Our time is our most important resource. We only have so much of it. If you own a small business or work long hours at a job that does little for your own wellbeing, perhaps it is time to evaluate what must be done and what we can change. Schedule specific days or time slots to certain tasks and allot uninterrupted time for your own time off.