Editor’s Note: This guest post is written by Jeanna Pool, owner of  Marketing for Solos

Why did you start your own solo small business?

Was it because you wanted to call your own shots…do your own thing…make your own rules…not have to answer to anyone else but yourself…set your own schedule…have time and flexibility to live your ultimate lifestyle?

If you’re like most solo entrepreneurs the answer is yes, yes and yes. The reasons I listed are the main reasons why we do what we do and got into this game in the first place.

But, at some point, many solos come to realize that the business that they started doesn’t really look like the business they wanted.

They don’t really call their own shots, the demand of their clients do. They don’t really have time and flexibility they desire, because they’re always so busy working to make money. They don’t really make their own rules, because they have to do what the client wants and asks for.

And on and on. Sound familiar?

If so then the question you may need to stop and ask yourself is…are you running your solo small business or is it running you?

We all want to be in charge of our business and make sure it is not running us, but we have to keep close tabs on the business or it will eventually take over. If you’ve found yourself in this position, here are a few tips and things to think about…

When You Work

YOU as the owner of your solo business gets to decide when and how you work.   Most event planners who are solos that consult or work virtually have a lot more flexibility.

I for one absolutely hate Mondays. That day of the week is evil and must be destroyed. Short of that happening I made the decision a very long time ago that I would not work on a Monday. And thus I don’t. Monday’s are my “official day off” and that is one of the ways I choose when I work.

So how about for you? When do you want to work? What hours of the day? Days of the week? Months of the year? If your working in a way that you don’t really want to, it’s time to figure out how to change that. It may take a little educating your clients as to the parameters or just setting the boundaries upfront.

For example, a friend in the mortgage business a few years back and was really bothered by the fact that clients would call her anytime of day. She would answer a call at 9pm and then be put off that the client was “so rude to call so late.” But, the problem was her, not the client. She did not have to answer the phone and after she took the time to educate her clients what her working hours were, the late night calls stopped.

Where You Work

I am blessed that I have clients all around the Unites States, Canada, Europe and Australia. The great thing about my business is I work with all of my clients virtually. So this means I can work anywhere I choose…be it in my physical office in Denver or with laptop while traveling. This gives me huge flexibility in my business.

How about you? YOU get to choose where you work. And if you find that you are not really working where you want, it’s time to change that.

If you want to go to the client. That’s fine, just make sure it is really what you want. If you want them to travel to you, then set that up as the parameter of doing business with you. Many solos dream about sitting on the beach, tropical adult beverage in hand and working away on their laptops…if that is really where you want to work, then there is no reason you can’t run your business this way. It takes planning and structure to make it happen…but it can happen.

So make sure that you are working where you want to work and that this aspect of your business is under your control.

How You Work

This is a biggie for solos. Think back to when you had a “real job” meaning working for someone else and you had to follow all the rules about how things were done. Being a solo small business owner frees us from this…or at least it should.

YOU get to determine how you work with your clients. So if you’ve never set up specific systems or parameters for how you work, then you may find the business trying to run you. As the expert in your field and the expert at what you do, you should be calling the shots for how you work with clients to get them the very best result possible.

Last Thoughts

Remember when you own a business you need to own it and run it and be its master. There is NOTHING wrong with setting up parameters and boundaries around the way you work. If a potential client has a problem with it, that’s okay. They are simply not a good fit for you. Bless them and move on. You CAN have the business run the way you want. You just have to take the time to ensure you are running the business instead of the other way around.

This guest post is written by Jeanna Pool. Jeanna is an Amazon #1 bestselling author, speaker and marketing consultant who helps solo small business owners attract more clients consistently. Visit her website www.MarketingForSolos.com now to get FREE marketing tips that will jump-start your marketing efforts and success.