[Closed] Self-employedists. Managing workload

Can you set aside a time to do the paperwork/quote/design etc each week?

Gmail and some others have canned response emails - so a template replay you can chuck out quickly - thanks for your enquiry, i'm in the workshop right now but I will get back to you asap, keeps people happy and engaged but doesn't get in the way of the doing.

From a project management point of view having a better idea of your available working time is good - in an average week how many days/hours do you have on the tools?

In terms of planning projects can you work on a pessimistic finish date - so if you are done in time you can start early but not delay people.

I’m usually fairly close, and that works ok for perhaps two, maybe 3 jobs, but when you have loads going off into the future, what tips do fellow self-employed folk have to deal with it, keep people happy and stay calm?

How much more can you do by yourself? Is that not then a problem of how manage other people etc.

Accept you are going to upset people.
Keep happy those who pay you the quickest / provide the most profit / will bring return work.
Learn to push peoples patience to the limit, just not beyond.

If you're not already listening to Measuring Up podcast, they talk about that in the first few episodes.

Different business for me but similar principles apply:

- qualifying new enquiries or alternatively, pushing away the ones that aren't right for you ASAP. The ones who want something custom at IKEA prices and want it yesterday, or something that you don't do at all. Set expectations as well as you can - website with examples of your work and the kinds of you work you can take on (and what you won't), consider pushing enquiries through a form that lets you get more info like budget and keep that page updated with rough availability - if you're flat out for the next 6 months then say so! You'll either get an enquiry from someone flexible enough to accommodate, or save yourself the time of responding to someone who needs it right now.

- don't feel you need to answer the phone. Have a business number if you want but have a message pushing them to website or leaving a message if they must. Or if that feels impersonal, you can get virtual receptionist services quite cheaply where a human will answer on your behalf and take a message (you can give them the questions to ask) which they email to you. Set aside admin time to check/clear these, so you're not stopping to answer the phone all the time.

- always build in contingency time. People waiting for weeks/months will usually be happy to move a job forward, or it's always good to have quiet times to tidy up, reorganise, or get boring paperwork done.

Work on your trade for 4 days of each week, spend the remaining day doing admin, quotes, invoices, invoice chasing etc and make sure you keep your weekends to yourself.

And I agree with the above about canned responses - if someone makes an enquiry simply respond with a message along the lines of 'Thank you, as a sole trader, I dedicate every Friday to admin and I aim to give a personalised response within 14 days'.

Definitely set aside time for admin - requires discipline but will be beneficial.

In fact its not just sole trades that do this - I'm sorting out my mum's will, and the paralegal lady will always send emails last thing at night -- so I guess she sets that time to do client admin.

Thanks all.. Some really useful strategies. I am busy but I will respond to your advice within 14 days. 😉

Can you set aside a time to do the paperwork/quote/design etc each week?

Yes, I should do this more strictly. I really do find it difficult as I struggle to sleep brilliantly, am in the workshop by 7am, and usually there until about 5, and approximately 7 minutes after I sit down at my computer I start to fall asleep 😄

It's what I should aim to do though I guess, but it's very tempting when you're stacked and it's just you, to shovel as many hours into it as you can, but of course, everything else suffers then.

 canned response emails – so a template replay you can chuck out quickly – thanks for your enquiry, i’m in the workshop right now but I will get back to you asap, keeps people happy and engaged but doesn’t get in the way of the doing

Good idea. I may look into this, though I need to make sure I don't subsequently forget all about it.

How much more can you do by yourself? Is that not then a problem of how manage other people etc.

It COULD be a managing other people problem I suppose, but I'm new to this stuff myself. Not sure I'm ready to employ anyone. Also, I want to be doing the things ultimately, not watching someone else do them from an office.

Work on your trade for 4 days of each week, spend the remaining day doing admin, quotes, invoices, invoice chasing etc and make sure you keep your weekends to yourself.

I think that's the goal. Very difficult though.

Not self employed as such but have a PAYE and work on the side so I have to balence not replying too much to at work outside lunch / tea time etc. I find reducing task switching as much as possible. I.e. as others say set aside time for admin. Let emails build up for a few hours or all day. Check and answer only a select few if needed at end of day. Also use email filters. Don't end up with 1000 unread etc. It's harder to organise that way.

Good idea. I may look into this, though I need to make sure I don’t subsequently forget all about it.

If you use Gmail (I think it might be only on the paid version, but it is very cheap) you can Snooze email so when it comes in (and they get their canned response) you can simply Snooze it and set it to come back into your inbox on the morning you are doing your admin day.

I think that’s the goal. Very difficult though.

I have had my own business for almost 15 years and I still try to be strict about keeping my weekends to myself - I occasionally will work, but it isn't often as I want to be able to enjoy my personal life too.

Charge more, work less!

I have a blackboard at my workshop with upcoming jobs and a to-do list

Trello is great for to-do lists, way better than a blackboard and completely free.

Small business not sole trader here (work at height specialists) but similar problem sometimes. There’s the MD and me, everyone else is sub contracted labour.

It can be quite stressful fitting it all in, making sure you keep existing clients happy but still attract new business and everyone usually seems to want their job done at the same time.

I try and allow one day a week  solely for admin and other days a max of one hour for emails etc if I’m on site but with every job needing quotes, sub contract agreements, RaMs, kit lists etc... the paperwork can start to build up when we are busy before I even start to look at site visits,CIS, PQQs,  LOLER inspections and so on.

90% of our work is for regular clients but we always need to be ready to get more work so there can be a fair bit of time consuming stuff that doesn’t even lead anywhere

Luckily for me i can usually uplift site manpower temporarily to allow me some breathing space but there are times when we are working multiple sites and more work comes in that I never seem to catch up. It can be pretty hectic at times as we have a reputation for rapid turnaround that sees clients coming to us when they are in a pinch and we just can’t say “next month for that mate” or we’ll lose the job and potentially future work.

Days off are one of two things to me. If my wife is working I’ll allow email replies, simple stuff that doesn’t take long just to stop the build up but if she’s off I turn on ‘do not disturb’ on my phone and properly take the day away.

Holidays see me doing a max of an hour a day, again simple stuff only and the site guys are instructed to only call me if it’s on fire or someone has fallen off it.

It's about being realistic with your turnaround times and making sure that the people who want your time are realistic about it too. Everyone wants stuff [u]now[/u] which is ace when you're running your own business but when you're relying on suppliers getting stuff to you on time (and who sometimes let you down either with delays or incorrect materials sent) it really does pay to allow a few more days on your estimations.

Also, knowing that a regular Monday-Friday 9-5 doesn't have to apply is good to remember. I'll happily get ahead with work stuff on a shitty weather Saturday and Sunday if the following few days are forecast to be nice #fetchthebikesout

edit- manage your outgoings (domestic and business)- the less you have going out, the less you have to bring in.

Self employed for 15 years now. Sounds to me you're simply taking to much work on. Extend the time your think each bit of work will take by a day (or whatevers relative) see how you get on. This could mean gaps in work, but learn to love those.

Plus one to ,charge more work less, I am in a similar line to you and h ave learnt that most jobs take longer than you think so be pessimistic about times. Leave gaps in your diary between projects, you can always fill them if you need. I use google calender as my diary because it is easier to alter if things change. Last but not least take charge of your customers or they will have you running round in circles. Have confidence that they will wait for your superior product.

It takes time to figure it all out. I'm eight years in and the workload still creeps up sometimes.

Firstly, be totally up front with timescales. If you're booked until four months from now, then book the next job in for four months away.

I pretty much book three days a week in these days.
If, like me, you are a one man band, then that extra two days will soon fill up.
Admin, kids sick off school, illness, weather, funerals, vehicle troubles - there needs to be breathing space in the diary for all these things.
It's also useful for short notice work, and extra juicy stuff that may come your way.
Some of the work that comes my way, if I can't do it within a week or two, I won't get it at all. I like to keep space for that sort of thing.

The extra juicy stuff normally has a short notice element to it also.
For me, tomorrow just so happens to be one of these. I've found myself with a few days work for a Parisian purveyor of insanely priced luggage and tacky clothing.
Slightly awkward work, with a very specific time window to complete. My quote was suitably Paris priced and nobody bats an eye. Happy days!

Keep time available for that sort of thing would be my advice.
If nothing pops up to fill those spare days, other work can be moved forward, or treat yourself to a day off.
Weekdays in the hills when the weekend forecast is pish are a real treat.

I quite enjoy making hay while the sun shines and working like a dawg for a few months at a time. It gets really wearing though, don't expect to keep up a really high workrate year round without some sort of burnout. Same goes for any job really.
I'm getting much better at slowing down when I need to. I'm fortunate my making hay time is over the winter, so I can take more time off in the summer.

Day to day, I keep lists in a notebook, and the schedule goes in google calendar.

Thanks all. Really interesting to hear various different takes on it. I've got some real food for thought there.

I'm sure I'll get into a more comfortable rhythm eventually but yeah, at the moment I'm spinning plates like a mofo

I'm even getting pressure from my sister who wants some work doing... 😄

No personal experience to offer, as I'd be crap at managing the sort of thing that you are struggling with. However, one bit of advise that I heard from a fairly successful sole trader was this; double your prices. It will halve your business but you'll still earn the same as before for half the effort.

NB; No idea if it works, and the price elasticity / demand figures are probably out, but it's a nice thought!

What a dream it would be to work four days and do admin on the fifth. Unfortunately that's a day without pay so not really do-able. It's not easy but just try squeezing a bit of admin in in the evenings but limit yourself. Everyone needs some time off.

@choppersquad - but don’t spend time on the admin and your business could easily fail because of lack of cash flow - you ain’t getting paid if you don’t send invoices out or check your bank account regularly and chase up bad debts - don’t look at it as a day without pay but a day making sure your cash flow ensures you do get paid...

Unfortunately that’s a day without pay so not really do-able.

It's only a day without pay if you haven't factored admin into you prices.

I, like you was until literally last week a self-employed furniture maker/woodworker for 3 years. Just packed it all in to go employed for a while because as you say, it's a lot of plates to spin and hats to wear. Stress caught up with me etc and it wasn't working out. BUT I did get a lot of help from people and a lot of the good stuff has already been mentioned but the admin thing - if you can't set aside a whole day for it, you say you get to the workshop at 7 - do an hour or two of admin every morning before work. I know the feeling when you're rammed you want to spend every day in the workshop but it really can't be neglected, without it there is no business. Get in the habit of using your diary and each night/morning write a list of your objectives for that day even down to cut list etc and tick them off. Good for motivation and forces you to do things. Really work out lead times and be realistic and honest not hopeful with them, they will get shorter as you go on. Be honest with customers, they can usually tell if they're being fobbed off and if you lose work because they won't wait, who cares there will be more. Basically do the complete opposite of the whole Sick Bike debacle atm...
It's tricky and depending on growth, in reality a 2 person job but definitely do-able! It's just getting into good habits and routines etc

This could mean gaps in work, but learn to love those.

This is the key for me. I couldn't do 4 days a week with one for admin or never working weekends. I work hard when I'm busy and take reasonable time off when it's quiet. I much prefer that.

In terms of time management putting people off is fine. Generally anyone who wants it now will be a pain to work for and anyone who is happy to wait when you tell them you are busy will be decent client.

It takes a while to find your rhythm and the right prices to charge that pays the bills and gives you time off bit stick with it. It's way better than working for the man

This all sounds like setting more realistic prices and timescales is key. Remember that everything you do for your business needs paying for and takes time, not just the work that you and your customers see as the core part of the business. Think about bikes… people are always keen to jump up and complain that materials don't cost much, and welding together a frame doesn't take that long… ignoring all the costs of admin, marketing, design, development etc… as if all that should be somehow free, and they can just buy and pay for the core product plus a bit of margin/profit. All these things are not free extras, they all need to be paid for.

I’m even getting pressure from my sister who wants some work doing… 😄

**** no. You'll be responsible for its upkeep until you die.

Maybe a change of mindset is needed too you are no longer a tradesman you are also management and a businessman. Add 25% to each job to cover one day a week admin. As has been said let people know you are a sole trader and do admin once a week or if you can every day from say 3-5pm. You have to be really strict with yourself on this but once in a routine it will work. Will also work should you take someone else on as you’ll be used to time being allowed for admin.

'Managing' isn't really a privilege you're really going to have. You're not really able to manage what people want from you or 'set aside' time for tasks other than meeting the direct demands that clients throw at you - you have a small amount of control over workload in terms of the price you charge but it takes a while to find out what that price can be. You have limited ability to control how much people want from you or how quickly or to prevent them all wanting the same thing at the same time. So its not so much how you manage as how you cope.

What you need is to identify time where you're not doing the physical work (when you can't make noise a dust basically without upsetting someone basically) but where your brain still works.

For me I've found thinking about admin tasks (and I really just mean thinking) is something I best do at night - but beyond doing a bit of googling I don't actually do anything. If theres stuff to be done I set the alarm an hour or so early and do it all then. One benefit of that is it makes all the communications one-way - nobody replies to your emails at 5 in the morning so you can do a task, send it and move straight on to the next task without things turning into a conversation.

If things are really full on and my days are very full and hectic then I work in my sleep - sleep in a different room with a notebook and laptop to hand - stops you having a bad night worrying about things and being unable to act. Sounds rough but its actually both more productive and more restful in those circumstances

Split your practical making things day roughly in half each day, doing admin either immediately before or just after your lunch break. It then breaks your working day up a bit, hopefully making you feel more productive in each session, while making you available for enquiries at a fairly convenient time of day.

As already suggested, outside of your scheduled admin sessions, set auto-responses for phone/e-mail to say you will get back to them during an admin session.