Tips for Setting and Enforcing Better Boundaries in Your Business
Post by Mairin Van Shura | Solivagant Legal
Hello!
Two things before I jump in to this week’s content:
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Stop Absorbing the Cost of Last-Minute Client Emergencies
Okay, back to “emergencies.” My mom likes to say when someone in our family is overreacting or being melodramatic that “no one is bleeding out on the operating table.” Frankly, it’s about as well-received by all of us as someone telling you to “just calm down.” But the lesson is a good one as we’ve all had clients who wait until the last minute and then create an emergency or crisis.
In business, things are always going to come up at the last minute from time to time; that’s pretty unavoidable. But you didn’t start your business to run on someone else’s chaos. The best way to protect your time and energy is to build structure and boundaries…and actually enforce them. A contract isn’t just about getting paid or covering your liability. It’s one of the strongest tools you have to prevent chaos before it starts.
Communication Boundaries: Clarify Where and When Clients Can Reach You
You should never be answering questions on email, Slack, DMs, WhatsApp, text, and Voxer all at once. Regardless of the type of business you’re running, choose one or two platforms where clients can reach you. Make it clear in your contract that you’ll only respond through those channels. Set expectations around response time and availability so you’re not checking six apps or your phone at 3 a.m.
It’s also not OTT to say in your contracts that you only check Slack/email/whatever platform at certain times of day. Make sure you’ve noted your response window. Clients generally respect boundaries if they know them ahead of time.
One of the most important things with boundaries is to actually enforce them, though. That means not responding to a client’s email at 3 am or over the weekend if you’ve stated your hours of availability in your contract.
Scope of Work Clarity Reduces “Emergencies”
A lot of so-called emergencies are really just a lack of clarity on the part of the client. Or worse, requests that fall entirely outside your contract. My best tip here is to go through your existing SOW as much as you can from a client’s perspective.
- Are you using terms of art that need to be defined or explained more clearly?
- What does the client need to provide and when?
- Is anything vague?
- What exactly, in detail, are you doing or providing, and when?
- If they’ve chosen one of your smaller or less expensive packages, for example, what is excluded that they might mistakenly think is included?
- Where can you break down milestones and time frames even more specifically?
- Have you given yourself a buffer around deliverable deadlines in the event that the client doesn’t provide feedback, info, or approvals on time?
Set Boundaries Around Time Off and Holiday Gaps
Include your planned vacation days in your contract and send clients reminders in advance, especially if they’ll need to submit deliverables or approve content before you’re OOO. Also include what happens if they miss your OOO deadline as an extra polite nudge to deliver on time. For example: will the schedule be delayed?
Also, let them know what’s going to happen when you’re offline and how they can reach someone on your team so you’re not fielding “urgent” emails from the beach.
Add Late Fees and Rush Charges to Your Client Contract
If a client sends files late or asks for rushed revisions, you’re allowed to charge for that. My contract templates for example, include optional language for hourly add-ons. You can also add rush fees and rescheduling fees provided you’re clear on what the fee is, when it applies, and how it will be charged…so you’re not absorbing the cost of someone else’s poor planning.
Enforce Notice Periods for Rescheduling
In order to stop constantly shifting your calendar at the last minute because a client has an emergency, make sure you’re clear around how much notice you need for rescheduling. It’s perfectly okay to say all rescheduled calls must happen within the contract term or they’re forfeited, with rescheduling subject to your availability.
Final Thoughts: Chaos Is a Contract Problem You Can Fix
If you feel like you’re constantly putting out fires someone else started, it’s not just exhausting. It’s a sign that your boundaries and legal foundation might not be working for you. My contract templates are designed to walk you through everything step by step so you can create stronger boundaries, clearer expectations, and a more sustainable business.
👉 Explore our contracts and get started building better boundaries here!
About the author: Mairin Van Shura is a contracts and trademark lawyer for online business owners. She helps online service providers protect their businesses, their income, their content, and their boundaries with comprehensive contract templates, done-for-you trademark services, and clear, actionable legal tips.