03/11/2024
Lately I got told from a few clients or acquaintances that I have "easy hours"starting at 10am and scheduling my regular times " only" til 5-6pm
Mostly mentioned by people who work as employees and can leave work at 5 or 6 or by those who are fortunate enough not having to work for a living...and go about their social lives or just put up their feet when they get home or plan a paid holiday.
I think I want to speak for various people who are self employed, sole traders that try to keep costs down and not have to pay others for additional chores that are needed to be done - no receptionists, laundry people or cleaners... there is ALWAYS more work going on behind the scenes.
As example, my time "outside my client hours" is filled with:
-Cleaning the room and bathroom( floors and worktops, sinks)
-Making sure enough stock,( maybe putting orders in)
-Answering enquiries, rescheduling clients if they cannot keep the scheduled appointment ( illness, work shift pattern changes..)
- washing/drying towels and sheets, folding them by size and putting away neatly in cabinets, to find right sizes quickly
- making sure client records are alphabetically safely locked away/ sorting client records out for next day
- in the morning setting up client list
- dealing with last minute cancellations/ ringing clients to change their times and hoping not too much financial loss for that day
-answering enquiries that were sent in the previous night ( yes some leave messages or try to even ring past 10pm!)
And then trying to keep up with banking and paying bills for business.
This is all without the daily chores of housework, shopping and cooking and paying home bills.
I am not the exception.. a lot of self employed people who give services to others do it for the passion of their job and try make a living whilst making it SEEM to you as customer as effortless ...whether it's in beauty, hospitality, health care or even other single trades people.
Be kind and thoughtful before saying they have it 'easy'.
