A home business professional may have the flexibility to set his own hours or schedule. He may have the luxury of doing his work burning the midnight oil and sleeping until late morning. He may be able to schedule meetings around his child’s soccer practice. Yet, let us not work so earnestly on our own schedule that we forget about punctuality. Do not grow lax in making a meeting on time or feel the freedom to cancel a meeting based on how you feel or an event. If you mistakenly believe you have a sense of freedom in the area of punctuality you will be in business by yourself, all by yourself. A business of one cannot survive. You need clients, associates, and possibly a partner.
According to Dictionary.com the definition of punctuality is the quality or habit of adhering to an appointed time. Punctuality shows respect for other people’s time. Time is a valuable and once lost cannot be made up. Wasting someone’s time is a business violation. Every minute wasted waiting for someone to keep a set meeting is a minute one could be answering an email, making a call, or putting the finishing touches up on a project.
Most of us feel the pang of time passing while in a waiting room or in line or waiting on Miss Sorry I’m Late. We all know someone who is consistently late. She is always out of breath, disheveled in appearance and seemingly sincere when she announces her apology for her rudeness. An excuse is always a few words away whether it is due to traffic, loss of keys, or another situation out of her control. After a few times, the reason could be a giant lizard attacked her apartment building and it will no longer excuse her from being unpunctual. Soon she has categorized herself as someone who cannot be counted on to get you to the airport in time. She will offer to be on board with projects while everyone gives knowing looks that she is not the one to count on. Miss Sorry I’m Late will soon become Miss Do Not Bother Doing Business With.
Punctuality is a common courtesy which shows you have respect for other people’s time. It shows you can manage your own time which leads others to trust you with tasks. When a client needs a job done he will hire the person he trusts the most. Those who are habitually late or cancel appointments will not be the person chosen for time sensitive projects. Remember every project is a time sensitive project to the client.