Entrepreneurs have the privilege of designing their own business, including defining its values and its rules of engagement. As an entrepreneur, this includes defining what is NOT acceptable to you. Doing this can make your work environment much more pleasant and fun for you and for your employees.
You might decide you don’t want to wear a suit and tie (for men) or a nice dress or slacks and blouse (for women) at work, and prefer to wear jeans and a tee shirt. That does affect your “professional image”, but many customers might well have no objection. In many places, workplace “dress codes” have become much more relaxed. (Younger employees prefer relaxed dress codes. Your requirements should be part of the job interview script.)
Perhaps you don’t want to have employees for your business. This will limit the growth of the business to those you can personally serve or use virtual assistants to serve. You might be able to use technology to serve large groups, with a little imagination.
You decide how promptly or whether you will respond to telephone calls, faxes, texts, or emails. Just tell your customers in advance when (or whether) to expect a response. Better, schedule any telephone or virtual meetings in advance, including beginning and ending times.
Do you prefer to take Wednesday and Thursday off, instead of weekends? Communicate your business hours and days on your web site and when you engage with customers. (My wife and I took Saturdays off during tax season to babysit our grandsons. I explained to interns who worked during tax season to plan on working a half-day on Sundays and why I had that policy, and I included that requirement in job descriptions.)
Do you want a physical office, a home office or a virtual office on the “cloud” and at Starbucks?
If you want a physical office or business location, will it be located in a nearby city or near your home?
Will you present seminars at a vacation resort or at a hotel located near your home?
Limiting access or creating some inconvenience to work with you might actually increase your value to your customers. “Nobody goes to see the guru at the bottom of the mountain.”
You can “sell” anything. “We do X because Y. This is great for you, because …”, or “Is that OK with you?”
If a requirement doesn’t work for the prospective client, hopefully you can refer them to someone else.
Ultimately, the marketplace will decide whether your designated constraints are economically feasible.
Would you like a “sounding board” for your business design ideas? Please send me an email at mgray@profitadvisors.com to schedule an initial consultation at no charge or obligation.