Boundaries are your biggest business flex

If you've ever felt like your clients expect you to be on-call 24/7, you're not alone. Nayo Carter-Gray, EA, MBA, and owner of 1st Step Accounting, is here to remind us that boundaries aren't barriers—they're the key to smoother workflows, happier clients and a less frazzled you.

From setting boundaries to building systems that reduce stress on both sides of the relationship, Nayo shares practical steps any accountant, bookkeeper or advisor can start using today.

—Interview by Janet Berry-Johnson, edited by Bianca Prieto

You're a big advocate for setting boundaries that actually help you serve your clients better. What are some of the first boundaries accountants and bookkeepers should consider putting in place?

The first boundary I always advocate for is to have set business hours. Many of us work virtually, but that does not mean we work 24/7. Having business hours allows clients to understand when their accounting professional is available and is working. Having business hours also allows for easier appointment scheduling using calendar tools. This works beautifully because it helps automate the process of scheduling meetings and setting intentions for your workday.

Can you share a few examples of how the systems you’ve built reduce stress for your team and your clients?

One of the best things I have implemented that has made things better for both my clients and my team is a welcome guide. I got the idea of a guide from my good friend Kellie Parks, but I decided to put my own spin on it and make it a fluid one-page website. This page not only outlines our general process for services but also reinforces what is in our engagement letter, introduces our clients to our team, answers some frequently asked questions and highlights important due dates. The best part is that this webpage can be updated quickly and as frequently as necessary.

Many practitioners are afraid that enforcing boundaries will make them seem hard to work with. How do you communicate those boundaries in a way that actually builds trust?

I would argue that setting boundaries makes it easier to work with someone. When communicating boundaries, clients learn what they can expect. They learn how to provide information to us, they learn how and when they can contact us and they get a better understanding of due dates and deadlines. It helps them get more in tune with how to collaborate with us, which makes for a much smoother working relationship. It also helps relieve unnecessary anxiety because we arm the clients with information from the onset of our relationship.

What advice would you give to firm owners who are feeling overwhelmed or taken advantage of, but aren’t sure how to start resetting expectations with current clients?

I would start by creating written policies that can be shared with clients. Use ChatGPT to help automate this if you get stuck. Then start adding these policies to your engagement letter. Next, create a few mass email campaigns that highlight these policies. If you are completely changing your policies from what your current clients are used to, give them a date in the future when your new policies will be implemented. I like to highlight a few policies, like our communication and billing processes. Whenever you can, reinforce your policies so that your clients understand and can follow them.

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The Net Gains is curated and written by Janet Berry-Johnson and edited by Bianca Prieto.