Long work hours = Upset hubby

[Biljana]

What am I to do? I run a one man show, I have gotten so busy since January that I am running late every day because I can't say no to clients
Last two weeks have been horrible! I open at 10am and I am back to back steady till 6-7pm. But I am seriously considering not taking last minute clients because it has caused me to work til 9pm!! I have even taken down the "walk ins welcome" sign off my window and they still come and inquire if I can squeeze them in, this is mostly new clients as my existing clients know to book before they leave. I am thinking of hiring a part time esthetician to take new/walk ins clients?! But I am nervous with that idea.
Hubby prepared an amazing meal last night, Baby boy was already in bed and the dinner was cold when I got home. needless to say he was NOT happy. I even sent him a quick text to say Id be late but it didn't matter. He says I am putting clients ahead of my family
I am only doing this as a temporary thing until I pay back into our savings that we took out to open the business in the first place. Seems like there is no winning here...sighhhh
Rant over

 

[Steph86]

Aww you sound busy, you need to also have a life though.

Its so hard when its your own business, but you do need a cut off point. Could you offer less evening appts? Lets say just a few a week? Maybe put your prices up a little to make up for you cutting your hours.

Those evenings will be booked up very quickly. Maybe try to say no I cant today to the walk ins, but the next slot I have available is... & take their num incase of a cancellation.

Word must be getting round that you are good at your job xx

 

[Martin Duffy]

I run a one-man show, but I am very strict with my cut off point. Money isn't everything, you need some quality of life, and if you do work such long hours, you not only risk home life but also quality of treatments as burn-out is inevitable.

 

[Redduck]

I always used to say 'yes' to clients but once I started saying 'no' the people who said 'I can only come on Wednesday evening' started to say 'well, I suppose I can take that Friday slot you've offered me'.

It is difficult turning people down but try marking out a couple of evenings in your diary so you can't put clients in and make them the days you definitely get home on time. Good to hear you're so busy x

 

[anonaw]

its very hard to say no to clients. but I think you need to say to yourself what to say yes to and what to say no to. ok working til 6-7pm because of a walk in, notso bad on occassion, but working til 9pm everynight because of a walk in, no. You need to learn to say to clients I'm sorry but I'm closed now, I can rebook you in for tomorrow at so and so time instead. its ok to be busy and to accept work, but when it is affecting your relationship and your home life, you have to make some harsh judgements. I don't think your wrong in wanting to make money and say yes to every client, but I also don't think your hubby is wrong either. I know its a touch situation but you just need a bit more balance.

 

[Biljana]

its very hard to say no to clients. but I think you need to say to yourself what to say yes to and what to say no to. ok working til 6-7pm because of a walk in, notso bad on occassion, but working til 9pm everynight because of a walk in, no. You need to learn to say to clients I'm sorry but I'm closed now, I can rebook you in for tomorrow at so and so time instead. its ok to be busy and to accept work, but when it is affecting your relationship and your home life, you have to make some harsh judgements. I don't think your wrong in wanting to make money and say yes to every client, but I also don't think your hubby is wrong either. I know its a touch situation but you just need a bit more balance.

I totally understand this!
Last night was not a walkin client, she was booked for 4 days, however, her "gel" fill turned out to be a complete removal, prep and application of new gel. (Reasons too long to get into on here,I posted another one in NailGeek)
It is lately all the booked clients that phone in advance and tell me, I have this and that on my nail and I am not happy, can you re do it for me?! The answer is Always YES
But the 'crap' they bring me from other NSS causes me to run behind

 

[Leely]

How many days a week are you working?

Maybe getting someone in part time self employed might be the answer. You'll be able to leave on time and have quality time with hubby.

It doesn't have to be a permanent thing having someone part time xx


www.facebook.com/BootyliciousOxford

 

[Biljana]

How many days a week are you working?

Maybe getting someone in part time self employed might be the answer. You'll be able to leave on time and have quality time with hubby.

It doesn't have to be a permanent thing having someone part time xx


www.facebook.com/BootyliciousOxford

I work Tues-Sat I have entertained the idea of a part timer but all I ever hear are horror stories, and I have worked hard to bring my Shop to where it is, to have it ruined by one person

 

[Leely]

I work Tues-Sat I have entertained the idea of a part timer but all I ever hear are horror stories, and I have worked hard to bring my Shop to where it is, to have it ruined by one person

Not everyone is the same

Maybe you could bring someone in and have them work along side you to start with so you can see them work. Or find an agency that can do all the leg work for you.

Change your hours maybe? Making sure you have at least one early night at home with the family.

You must be very good at what you do to be so busy, so well done you, hopefully I can say the same soon.

Fingers crossed you manage to sort it all out xx


www.facebook.com/BootyliciousOxford

 

[weeleelee112]

i set working hours and stick to them other wise id be working every evening x

 

[ch-ela]

It's hard isn't it, wanting to do what's best for your business AND your loved ones. But try to look at it from another angle.

If you were a single parent and had employed a babysitter for your children (you have a couple of boys if I remember correctly?) and you knew that she left at 7pm to go home and would leave the children unsupervised if you were not back home at that time... would you be at home for 7pm? I reckon you would do your best to be back on time.

I know of course that it's not that simple. Why dont you have a fixed evening, like a date night, with your husband that you will promise to be home on time or early, so you do get to spend that quality time with him and he may be more understanding on the other nights if you run late.

I think that it's when we have control over our actions that we feel we need to do that little bit extra and stay those few minutes more, which might then turn into hours. But if things are out of our control, eg. the shop closing/building closing hours or that the car park locks at a certain time then it's easier to call it a day and say "sorry, but I need to close on time".

 

[GlamourEyes11]

I'll be watching this thread carefully. I'm having the same issue

I work full time (not beauty) and do evenings beauty mobile. But I'm soooo busy (bookef up 2-3 weeks in advance) I don't seem to have a life anymore don't see friends because I'm working every night and don't see my fella because he's often coming in as I'm going out and often in bed when I get home but we reaaally need the money xxx

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[ch-ela]

I'll be watching this thread carefully. I'm having the same issue

I work full time (not beauty) and do evenings beauty mobile. But I'm soooo busy (bookef up 2-3 weeks in advance) I don't seem to have a life anymore don't see friends because I'm working every night and don't see my fella because he's often coming in as I'm going out and often in bed when I get home but we reaaally need the money xxx

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Maybe if you give yourself a time limit as to how long you need to work this way, say until Jan 2014, and then you will assess the situation again. You might be able to go part time with your job by then and that will make things better. I find that if you can have some kind of time limit then others can cope better as it doesnt look "never ending". Hope that makes sense.

 

[Dani04]

You work to live you dont live to work

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[Biljana]

Last night, I am very happy to say, I said no to a walk in and closed the shop by 5pm
I cleaned up and surprised Hubby with an early night home!
To my shock, he is now angry that I turned away a client, WTF!!!! Are all men this hard to please?!
He eventually turned around and apologised and we spent a nice evening with a bottle of Malbec and hot tubbing
It is the long weekend here, so I am not booked past 2pm today, I shall put a sign up to say closed for the long weekend and go home early again. I just have to find a balance somehow, I went from having a designated late day on Thursday evenings that turned into every night IF they booked an appointment, as I close at 6pm and don't wish to sit here till 8pm hoping for a walkin. Next week is more reasonable, and I will do my best to keep to 6pm as originally planned.

 

[Dani04]

Good luck finding the balance. Its hard to turn down clients but sometimes you just have to .

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[anonaw]

Well done biljana! You did the right thing especially as it seems that you are super busy, you are only one person and in the end you can't take your money with you! Finding a balance is good. Plus the more you give to clients the more they will ask for, having a set late night and actually making sure youre sticking to your guns and your opening and closing times, eventually your clients will too. Hope it all starts working better for you!

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[jowilliams2410]

I am so glad I saw this thread, I am exactly the same and my husband feels the same way but I want to work hard to pay an old loan off and then start enjoying life again. I have decided to work all summer doing evenings as I think it will quieten down in October as it always seems to and I need to make the most of it.

 

[Lash2012]

Last night, I am very happy to say, I said no to a walk in and closed the shop by 5pm
I cleaned up and surprised Hubby with an early night home!
To my shock, he is now angry that I turned away a client, WTF!!!! Are all men this hard to please?!
He eventually turned around and apologised and we spent a nice evening with a bottle of Malbec and hot tubbing
It is the long weekend here, so I am not booked past 2pm today, I shall put a sign up to say closed for the long weekend and go home early again. I just have to find a balance somehow, I went from having a designated late day on Thursday evenings that turned into every night IF they booked an appointment, as I close at 6pm and don't wish to sit here till 8pm hoping for a walkin. Next week is more reasonable, and I will do my best to keep to 6pm as originally planned.

Well done! This is so hard i have this problem a lot. I am mobile and most of my clientele is 40 mins from my home. I sometimes don't get in until 7-8 and then because I'm driving all day i will have about 5 texts too reply too (all clients wanting too book in) so the minute i get home my head is in my appointment book and my boyf goes mad! I try too explain its more money but hese like cant you just relax when you get in! Oh its so stressful! Its hard balancing your work life with time away from it! X

 

[sarahlou09]

I do feel for you :green:
I rent a chair in a salon that i am taking over next month,i can work from 8am to 8-9pm on occasions, but my other half is very supportive of this as we are getting married next month so the extra £'s come in handy.
What i do is book 2 days a week off & maybe sometime in the day but write something in my diary like colour training for 1/2 a day that way people that see your diary wont try to book in a place thats already booked

Hope it keeps busy for you.