I get phone calls from all sorts of people looking for everything from free money to start a business or are looking for someone to write a business plan and they have no money! Now my expectations of those type of people is low. When I do get business from them I am careful to not expect too much.

Increasingly, I am getting phone calls from owners of established businesses who are very interested in my services. This is great. Except for one thing, their inability to keep an appointment.

We have all experienced last minute mishaps that disrupt our schedules - I would ask one small favor. Let the person who is waiting for you or meeting you know that you are running late or cannot make the appointment and move onto something else. It is the least they can do.

Obviously, that is what I do, eventually. But here is the problem inherent with my business. It takes me at least 30 minutes to prepare and in the case of coaching sessions 60 minutes. So when someone does not show for an appointment it costs me 60 minutes, plus whatever time I lost waiting. Not only that, but the projects I work on are relatively complex and it the takes a certain amount of time to get back onto another project.

Then guess what happens? The late client calls or shows up and wants to reschedule or asks me to try and fit them in now. By this time I have started another project.

My time is valuable too. Maybe it is time for me to start charging for missed appointments at the rate of $175/hour. I guess I will have to start a new system and get a sign off on our project management and billing policies.

Bet they would make sure they were on time or at least cancel it then at least I can move onto another project or task.