Funny how a client who's had all year to make a decision suddenly needs everything done by Christmas. And guess whose problem that becomes? Yours.
The deadlines get ridiculous. The pressure ramps up. Your team's already stretched, and now you're being asked to squeeze six weeks of work into three. And because you don't want to lose the job, you say yes.
But what is that yes actually costing you?
In this episode of The Family in Business, I'm joined by my son Nick to talk about the end-of-year rush, when everyone else's poor planning suddenly becomes your emergency.
And when you're running a family business, those last-minute demands don't just affect your bottom line. They can put pressure on your team, damage your reputation and create tension with the very people you're building the business alongside.
We get into why business owners are so reluctant to charge more for urgent work, how to handle unrealistic deadlines without automatically turning clients away, and why absorbing the cost of someone else's urgency isn't doing anyone any favours.
Nick and I also unpack three options you can give clients when they want something done yesterday, and why having an honest conversation about time, price and expectations is usually better than promising something you'll struggle to deliver.
And there's one conversation you really need to have with your family business partner before the Christmas pressure kicks in. What are you prepared to protect, what's non-negotiable, and who's going to handle those difficult client conversations?
Because saying yes to another job might feel like good business. Until you work out what it's actually costing you.
Have a listen before you agree to another 'quick job' that absolutely has to be finished by Christmas.
In today's podcast you’ll discover:
00:49 – Why the Christmas rush puts unnecessary pressure on family businesses
01:51 – What your family business needs to protect when deadlines pile up
03:17 – How to manage unrealistic client expectations without compromising quality
05:16 – Why charging a premium for urgent work makes business sense
07:38 – Three options for handling last-minute client demands
09:40 – Why honest conversations about pricing protect your profit
11:40 – The hidden cost of saying yes when your business is already stretched
13:27 – How to agree on boundaries with your family business partner before the pressure builds
Quotes
“Now is a great time to sit down with your business partner, whether it's your cousin, sibling, best mate or life partner, and ask: As we move into the end of the year, what are the guardrails we're going to use to run this business?” - Mark Creedon
“Now's the time to protect your reputation, your position in the marketplace and your sanity” - Mark Creedon
“They're absorbing a cost simply because they didn't want to have a tough conversation. But being honest and having that tough conversation in the first place actually works in your favour most of the time.” - Nick Creedon
“You take a shortcut now, or allow something to affect the quality of your work, and it just becomes easier to do it again.” - Nick Creedon
“If you're not protecting your time, you're sacrificing other parts of your life.” - Nick Creedon
The Mastermind for Business podcast is powered by Business Accelerator Mastermind, a coaching program that helps service business owners and professionals double their revenue whilst halving their time in the business. Each week, Mark Creedon, a Business Coach at Business Accelerator Mastermind, speaks with some of the best business minds in the world and shares simple, practical steps you can take to create the business you always wanted.
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How To Have A Business Not A Job:
WITHOUT NEARLY KILLING YOURSELF
