If you are reading this blog post then it is likely that your business is growing and new clients have started to roll through the door. If that is the case then firstly, congratulations on your growth!!
We are also aware that new clients can often mean that you and your business are now spread more thinly across the day which can of course cause stress and panic. With that being said, for this month’s blog post we have decided to discuss how you can both efficiently and effectively manage multiple clients all at once.
Please keep reading if this subject could benefit you and your business!
Communication Channels
Although it may sound obvious, having clear and effective communication channels between yourself, business and clients is absolutely essential when it comes to managing multiple clients. It is important to understand that although a particular communication channel may be your preferred method of communication, it may not be the same for your client(s). Therefore, it is crucial that you discuss and establish your clients preferred communication channel during the onboarding process and stick to what they tell you when it comes to communicating with them.
Through doing so, response wait times will be reduced as you can ensure you are contacting your clients in the most efficient manner possible. It may also be worth discussing your weekly working hours alongside your clients hours so that both parties know when the best time to contact the other is.
Create a schedule
To ensure that your time is split in the most efficient way for your business, why not create a schedule? Constantly switching between tasks can be extremely draining and also negatively impact productivity. That’s why we believe that creating a schedule, whether that be at the start of your week, each night or each morning (whatever works best for you!), will encourage you to split your time effectively whilst also boosting productivity as you can clearly highlight what needs to be done for each client day to day.
Knowing what tasks need to be completed each day and for which client ahead of time will reduce the risk of you and your business from becoming overwhelmed and can help you plan strategically and effectively for the coming weeks and months. In addition, although it may sound tedious, creating a schedule or a plan that is both clear and aesthetically pleasing could encourage you to stick to it!!
Don’t overwork yourself
Our final tip for working with multiple clients at once is to not overwork yourself and also not to be afraid to say NO! Whilst we can appreciate that saying ‘no’ is a worrying prospect because more often than not, more clients results in more money and a further reach for your business. Spreading yourself too thin will likely result in a lower quality of work being produced which will impact the relationship between you and your clients in both the short and long term. Knowing when you are at your working limit is an important skill to learn, specifically when running your own business as it will ensure that you only produce work to the best of your ability and maintain strong, healthy relationships with your clients.
Just to repeat, saying ‘no’ instead of producing low quality, rushed work will be better for the long-term future of your business as well as your own mental health.
We hope that our tips for managing multiple clients at once have been helpful! As always, if you have any questions or need any accounting guidance, please do not hesitate to get in touch!