Handling time away for service businesses ⏰

Hey, ,

Taking time away from work is essential for personal rejuvenation and maintaining high productivity, but it's also crucial to manage this effectively when you provide ongoing services, like I do at Wix Joy 🎉.

This week, I want to share how I handle pauses with my current customers, especially when operating a subscription model, and ensure continuous value.

Communicating Time Away

When planning time off, clear communication is vital. Here’s how I handled notifications:

1. Advance Notification: I informed my clients in advance through Basecamp, my project communication and collaboration hub. This allowed me to manage expectations and maintain transparency.
2. Visual Cues: Basecamp aids this process with an "OUT" graphic on my profile, making it clear when I am not available. This visual indicator is helpful for clients looking to reach out or assign tasks.

Wix Joy’s Unique Approach to Subscription Pauses

Wix Joy is unique; it operates like a gym membership but for unlimited website support, design, development, and training resources. Here’s how I manage subscriptions when taking breaks:

• Pause and Extend Membership: Unlike typical services where customers might lose out during pauses, I automatically pause Wix Joy memberships during my time away and extend them for the equivalent time at no extra charge. This ensures members do not lose any value and reflects my commitment to fairness and value.

Setting Expectations for New Clients

For potential new clients, setting the right expectations from the start is crucial:

• Announcement on Digital Platforms: I updated my website and booking pages to inform visitors of the upcoming break, preparing them for a possible delay in starting new projects.
• Synchronous and Asynchronous Communication: I offer two ways to connect— 1) live scheduling through my booking system for real-time conversations, and 2) flexible, asynchronous communication via Warm Welcome, allowing both me and clients the ability to respond at convenience without losing the personal touch.

This approach ensures that both existing and potential new members understand my availability and can plan accordingly.

How do you manage time away in your own business, especially if you run a subscription service or need to maintain ongoing client relationships? Reply via email or video/voice and let me know.

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Enjoy,

Matt Cici

mattcici.com