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.  SHARE THE WRITING COACH PODCAST WITH OTHER WRITERS Subscribe and write a review of the Writing Coach Podcast on Apple Podcasts. OR TAG ME WHILE SHARING ON SOCIAL MEDIA Follow me on Instagram: @freelancewriterbootcamp Follow me on Facebook: facebook.com/rebeccalweber Follow me on Twitter: @rebeccalweber Follow me on LinkedIn: www.linkedin.com/in/rebeccalweber/ YOU MAY ALSO LIKE … Guide on how to pitch freelance articles WCP Episode 11: Money and negotiation blocks Deep work by Cal Newport WCP Bonus: Boost your bottom line as a freelance writer WORK WITH ME: JOIN THE BOOTCAMP WAITLIST Join the waitlist for the next session of my small group coaching program, and you’ll be the first to hear when applications open AND get special access to an early bird bonus: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com Break into your dream publications and get paid well while covering stories that matter. Alumni of my small group coaching program, Freelance Writer Bootcamp, have used these proven pitching processes to break into the New York Times, the Guardian, Bustle, Fodor’s, Condé Nast Traveler, Al Jazeera, the BBC, and many more. Writers on the waitlist will be the first to hear when Bootcamp applications open up for early bird enrollment in the next session. Click here to join the small group waitlist: www.FreelanceWriterBootcamp.com More info and complete show notes: www.rebeccalweber.com/podcast148