One of my favorite bloggers, Dawud Miracle, wrote recently about how he missed a terrific opportunity when an established client tried to refer a project his way. Dawud lost the lead when his mailbox was full and the client couldn’t reach him.

Ironically, he had been putting off reconnecting with the client for some time. Dawud later discovered that this particularly lucrative project was unfolding while he was procrastinating. You can (and should!) read the rest of Dawud’s story, and the lesson he learned by hopping over to “The Cost of Procrastinating.”

Guilty.

In my case, I am not so much a procrastinator, but I am aware that I am frequently “indisposed.” Specifically, I know that:

• I am difficult (impossible?) to reach by phone, which can be viewed as an effective screening device or abject foolishness. Lesson: Indisposal isn’t good when building a business.
• I organize my work so as to complement not conflict with my life, meaning I am just not always available. Reinforcement of Indisposal lesson.
• I take a lengthy vacation once a year which coincides with the New Year. Imagine how many great new projects clients conceive of just then, for which I will never be considered. Ditto above lesson.

The fact is, I haven’t always been fortunate enough to take holidays or not answer the phone by the second ring. But today my response method is by design, not by neglect. I simply choose to work on projects rather than interrupt them for phone calls unless by appointment. It’s the work style that best suits the projects I prefer to accept.

Before I arrived at this approach, though, I am sure I unintentionally missed many opportunities. In fact I am aware of one in particular that gnawed at me for weeks (ok, it was months).

Once I felt I was sufficiently established, I allowed myself to be “closed” or “on holiday” on occasion and I made certain my existing clients knew that I would be gone. I failed to consider what might happen if a loyal client got a call from one of HER clients asking for a referral to someone for work I specialized in. That is what happened, and she sent them to a competitor of mine when they indicated they were in a hurry.

After that incident, I reflected on my availability (or lack of it) and made a decision to establish my own boundaries and live with the consequences of those, including missed opportunities.

How you choose to operate your business is up to you, but even when you are just starting out and building a clientele, you need to carefully consider your own boundaries. Not to say they won’t change as you become more established, as mine have.

1. Will you be available 9:00 – 5:00, or 24-hours a day, or open to last-minute rush requests?
2. Will you personally answer your phone whenever it rings, or perhaps hire someone to ensure that you are reachable by phone live and in real time?
3. If you can afford to take a holiday, can you simply close up shop and live with the fact that you will be missing leads while you’re away, or will you hire an assistant to handle those opportunities?
4. While you ARE on vacation, will you still be open? Always, or just some of the time?

The consequences of feeling you must be on call in case a lead comes in will eventually burn out your enthusiasm for your business. Remembering that not all leads are good matches helps to take away the sting of missed opportunities.

Speaking of this, you also might want to read:

• Stargazing and Profitability
• Landing Your First Client

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