When do you work on your site?

[Greenmind]

Assuming you are someone working on your own website, when do you work on it?

I've had enough. I don't have much time during the day, so I always leave any work I have to do on my site for the evenings or weekends, but it's becoming a real chore. I'm not so enthusiatic anymore, and yet things still need to be done. I'm introducting new products, improving my search marketing, adding info, general tuning etc. Well.. these are the things I should be doing at least, but I really want to relax more in my free time. It's a bit like trying to dig a hole in dry sand, no matter what I do, there's always more to be done.

I don't have a great deal of competition but if I rest on my laurels someone will be along doing what I do much better, so it's got to be done. Should I just do it during the working day when I can fit it in.

How do others balance these things?

[wesleythorne]

its a slog at the start, middle and the end. Unless you outsource some of it.
I guess you need to way up what you want, want you expect and what you can do yourself. Hopefully there will be a time when you can employ some staff to take on more of mundane things and concentrate on running the business yourself.

Anyone will tell you being self employed is hard work, its not for everyone, if you don't do it yourself it might not get done.

So the short of it, if it bores you and is too much bother maybe you need to stand back and take a good look. Is it worth all the effort you put it, would your time be better spent doing other things more important to you.
Hope it all works out
wes

[Duncan Rounding]

If you run your site as a main business then it should be part of your working day. If it's a sideline store then it should be done as and when you can. If it's a full time business and you no longer have time then perhaps you should consider contracting the maintenance side of the site out to a pro so you can concentrate on running the business.

[Fairyglass]

I suspect all entrepreneur retailers will say they're the same as you- personally I'm at the computer 7 between 8 and 10 hours a day, sometimes 7 days a week. It's our first year of full time trading though and the buzz of new orders hasn't worn away.
I think it's really important to reclaim some work/life balance- I once worked in my dream job, pursuing a major hobby, and it was amazing- but it killed my interest in the hobby and I can't go back to it now. Don't let it take over- you won't be able to have an objective view of the bigger plan if you're stuck in details. Make a list of the tasks you know need doing, rate them in terms of urgency and importance, and see which you feel most confident and enthusiastic doing. Outsource as many of the rest as you can afford to, and grit your teeth with the remainder.
If it's really too much, then as Wesley says, take a look and consider if you could be happier doing something else.
Good luck!

[pinbrook]

and yet things still need to be done. I'm introducting new products, improving my search marketing, adding info, general tuning etc. Well.. these are the things I should be doing at least, but I really want to relax more in my free time. It's a bit like trying to dig a hole in dry sand, no matter what I do, there's always more to be done.

I am one of those people who when confronted by a huge task want to run a mile, so my solution is to break the huge task into smaller manageable ones and write a list.

I then take great pleasure from crossing things of the list and am happy i can see progress. Don't forget you can't eat an elephant in one seating, but you can eat an awful lot of it over a month.

[Paul Bulpit]

Hear, hear, all of the above. This thread should be made 'sticky' for others to see in the future, as a warning.

Notice how all the previous posts are long sentences, very wordy? The novelty wears off when you come to realise that the world-wide-web is open 24/7/365 - and that's without coping with version upgrades......

Doesn't outsourcing eat into what you have acheived? There's a fine line here, where does one start to speculate to accumulate?

Answers on a postcard.....

[RuralWeb]

IME everyone totally underestimates the ammount of work needed to run a website. They think it's a simple case of throw it up and pocket the profits when in reality you need to run it like a real shop ie 9-5 and it's only going to get worse as more and more websites are churned out every day. Good news for actinic bad news for site owners.

[Greenmind]

Thanks for all the input - all valid.

The site is an extension on my normal work, so a sideline really. It's not my company. I set the web-based side of it up and I get commission from it and it has boosted my income nicely, so it's in my interest to keep it updated.

To be honest I really don't mind working on it. It's just that I want to do other things and I was getting irritated because I can't fit it all in.

Some good advice there about listing things according to priority, and breaking it up into smaller tasks.

IME everyone totally underestimates the ammount of work needed to run a website. They think it's a simple case of throw it up and pocket the profits when in reality you need to run it like a real shop ie 9-5 and it's only going to get worse as more and more websites are churned out every day.

My thoughts entirely. The customers are the problem. They forever want a bigger choice, quicker delivery, lower prices etc. and will go elsewhere if you don't comply, so then you've got to have an eye on the competition, both in regards to what they are offering and how they figure in search results. There doesn't seem to be a point at which you can just relax and get on with running the shop.

[Golf Tee Warehouse]

I find I end up grabbing an hour or so here and there and usually get the most done after 11pm when there are less distractions, unfortunately just as I am getting somewhere I find I am too tired to think any more and give up again.

I am currently redesigning my site in V9 and always seem to be 3-4 weeks away from completion and often find 1-2 weeks slip by without finding time to work on the site redesign.

If only life had a pause button!

[Duncan Rounding]

...

If only life had a pause button!

Yes please.

I can see it now...

New: Life+HD
Pause and replay life in dramatic resolution. Record your most favourite experiences. Skip adverts, spam and depressing moments.

It would make a fortune.

And to misquote Sir Michael Parkinson:

"Once you have used Life+ you cannot imagine life without it"

[pinbrook]

Doesn't outsourcing eat into what you have acheived?

Not necessarily.
Growing businesses get to a point where you reach apoint of not necessarily being able to do everything yourself. For example your business becomes sucessful and you find yourself earning lots of dosh but have no time/life. Some people stay like that as they like to be busy and want total control and keep all their income, others decide they want a better balance of work/leisure and thus outsource or take on employees thus spending a percentage of the income (this point is reached by looking at the cost to employ and deciding what is left is still good) but getting a life back and take on a different role whereby you steer the business whilst not getting bogged down in the day to day detail..

[bamboo]

The customers are the problem

It never ceases to amaze me how many retailers believe this to be true. Then again most new retailers go out of business within three years of starting up.

You have a choice. You can continue to think of your customers as 'problems' or you can ensure that the customer receives a better than first class shopping experience.

If you focus on the latter the former point of view disappears completely.

Remember without customers you have NO BUSINESS.
The customer is always right even when the reality is that they are wrong most of the time.

[Greenmind]

Yes, it was in fact meant as a tongue in cheek comment, implying that things would be much easier without customers.

[TraceyHand]

Yes, it was in fact meant as a tongue in cheek comment, implying that things would be much easier without customers.

Except, of course, they wouldn't, would they?

[Darren B]

I think we all have our far share of problematic customers, well i know i do but i also have some great customers, spend a fortune and never here from them.

I take the rough with the smooth, i moan about them but then thats my release once im done moaning its all forgotten.

I have one at the moment, but i have offered him a spare part for free to replace the bit HE broke, not worth the hassle for a few quid, i actually make them squirm a little asking for order numbers etc as they all think you should know who they are and to be honest i can find them real easy but they way i look at it. They have the information and im giving stuff for free its up to them. It's my personal way of dealing with it.