When you go to a brick and mortar store, you expect that the store will have regular business hours. These business hours are usually posted on the door, letting customers know when they will have an opportunity to come in and shop. Similarly, customers assume that the phone will likely only be answered at these stores during the posted business hours. This much seems obvious and to be expected. For home-based businesses with no official storefront, the picture isn’t quite as clear.
For consultants, graphic designers, freelance writers and other people who run their businesses from home, having official business hours does not appear to be the norm. In this way, all potential and current customers assume that these businesses can be contacted at any hour of the day on any given day. Sending an email to these businesses at 9am on a Monday is exactly the same as sending one at 10pm on a Saturday evening. Is this really the right course of action though? Should home-based businesses have set business hours as well?
There are certainly advantages for the person who is running the home-based business. By having set business hours, it is easier to separate work hours from leisure hours, since customers don’t expect you to answer the phone outside of your regular business hours. This also helps to keep your focused during the work day, because you know when “quitting time” is at the end of the day. It also provides an extra air of legitimacy and authenticity to the business.
On the other hand, having set business hours can be very restricting as well. If you are telling customers that you are open between 9am and 5pm, but you want to take care of some errands during the middle of the day, this can be more of a challenge than if you do not have set business hours. By not having set business hours, it is easier to offset working hours to a later time, giving time in the middle of the day to take care of tasks and other responsibilities, work-related or otherwise.
What’s your take? Should home-based businesses have set hours like brick and mortar stores?
Nick
August 4, 2009 7:59 pm
Home based businesses usually only run with one or two people , which is a very small company. When your a small company you have to work weekends , and when ever possible.
I agree you should set hours your not going to work , for example sunday. Or even take nights off , sometimes if you work to much you will get sick of it. Its not the same when you have no set time like at a regular job you know no matter what your done at 5.
Nieruchomosci Gryfino
August 4, 2009 11:21 pm
I think that regular hours are good to keep business running. Sometimes it is difficult to make yourself available and working. When you have the whole day at your disposal you can e.g. go shopping, on a walk, play some games or do anything at all. For the people who have some problems with self-discipline those hours could be the right answer. I have some problems with getting up early in the morning, but there are others who like to be awake everyday around 6 AM and for them also some regulated working hours could be beneficial.
New Jersey Work Injury Lawyer
August 6, 2009 1:21 pm
I think it depends on where your clientele is located. For example, when I did web design, I had clients that were overseas (Australia, New Zealand) who were literally located in the opposite time zone as me. In these peculiar cases, you cannot arrange your own times and expect the client to stay up in the wee hours of the morning just to have a 30-minute Skype conversation.
On the other hand, I think some online-based businesses are expected to have round the clock hours. Take for example web hosting companies… Many others including me expect be able to call tech support at 4am and have someone on the other end.