Thank you all for posting your business hours and policies with those. It has given me a new prospective on doing my virtual work. Mon Wed Evenings 6pm-11pm Tues Thurs Days 10am-6pm and Friday IS an Occasional day. I will extend myself further when I get a chance for now I'm still getting my feet off the ground.

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Sierra Davis
Airra Virtual

I guess for now, since I'm just starting out, my hours will be dictated by the work. I'm not one to turn anything away at this point.

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lisa

Thanks for posting this subject, I am currently starting out myself and would probably be quite flexible to start with.

I am a home based business and empty nester so working hours are usually - 'till I'm done. That's not a good thing. I'm going to make a note to self to work on that business hours thing. Thanks for the heads up!

Greetings,

I just let people assume I am the typical Monday through Friday 9AM to 5PM but I work at all different hours depending on my deadlines. My clients know that since I have a variety of clients sometimes I'm available by phone and sometimes they get my voice mail. I just make sure I keep up and return calls promptly.

Take care,

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Stephanie Finkbeiner - Balanced Business Service
Helping you balance more than the books

This is a great thread!! I am just starting out and this has given me something to think about. The clients that I have right now communicate mostly thru email but I am wanting to branch out and gain some new clients. Will have to see what they may need!!

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Jenn B.
EveryBody Needs a JENN

I am currently working a job 4 days a week until my VA business gets up and running. I am advertising my VA hours M-F 9-5 but was concerned because its difficualt to be on my mobile for large blocks of time with clients.

When i read posts here about not taking client calls and letting calls go to VM I was shocked. And the more I think about it the more I realise that it is the smartest thing to do.

I was bought up to answer the phone with in 3 rings. Even at home I cannot NOT answer the phone. But reading what you all do makes me realise that I am going to have to be much more controlled with my time.

Phone calls will need to be dealt with in a more proactive way using blocks of time set aside rather than in the current reactive way of if it rings answer it.

Thanks girls for all your great advice.

Two questions though

How do you manage clients expectations of imediate responses?
If you put it in your client agreement, how do you word it so that you still sound professional?

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Teresa Lombardo
www.eliteba.com.au - Dedicated to service excellence

I always intend to have regular office hours but I always seem to go back on it....a client has an "emergency", I have to work on something because I feel it's an "emergency"...basically it's my own fault but I vow to do better

Dawn

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Dawn Kramer
www.midwestvagroup.com

I am so glad I stumbled on to this website. It is so refreshing to see all the different responses. It affirms that there is no one-way of doing it.