Work + Money

As a business owner, I have my share of questions and quandaries even though I'm also a business expert. My issues run the gamut and thankfully they aren't always the same ones because I do eventually find solutions -- either through other entrepreneurs, through social networking contacts, through a little research, through a bit of luck or a combination of these things.

Here are my Top 5 Business Quandaries, in no particular order.

1. How do I handle a client who doesn't have any business boundaries?

I've got a client who started off calling me at home at all hours wanting to talk about the project. I finally told him my husband didn't want him calling our home number. I've resorted to leaving my business cellphone off more often than I'd like to moderate his calls. When we are on the phone -- even if it should be a quick conversation -- he goes off on tangents, and the calls last over half an hour or more for no good reason. How do I draw firm boundaries without risking a good business relationship?

UPDATE: Parted ways with the client. Huge sigh of relief.

2. How do I get my Apple Airport Station to block other wireless signals?

I just bought a new Macbook, and the darn thing has such a strong signal that instead of picking up the nearby 3 or 4 wireless signals, it is picking up 10 or 11. This makes it harder for me to get online for some reason, even though I have "Robust Interference" set. How can I improve my wifi performance?

UPDATE: Still getting all those other wireless signals and haven't had a chance to look into solving this issue.

3. How do I fit in new clients when I only have 4 hours each day to work (when the babysitter is here)?

I really want to take on some new projects that are incredibly exciting. Do I add more hours to the babysitter's job which means I have to pick projects that more than pay for the extra fees. Do I pare down lower paying gigs even though they are great at getting my name out there? Who can help me weigh the pros and cons of these issues?

UPDATE: Recently put baby in daycare so I have 8 hour days. Now I'm struggling to be productive in all 8 hours. So easy to get distracted.

4. How can I be a better project manager?

I have a few instances where I must manage other people -- remotely -- to complete a project. I tend to be more hands off because I think that everyone has the same intense work ethic that I have. But I've had several independent contractors literally disappear on me without really doing the work. How can I get a better handle on work flow and keep everyone accountable?

UPDATE: I've been using Basecamp lately, and it has really helped! Has anyone else out there used it?

5. How can I better organize & use my social networks?

I'm a fanatic about trying every new social networking site to see how it works and if it really works for business networking. So far, the ones that have proven most useful to me are Twitter.com and LinkedIn.com. The jury is still out on Facebook. So what is the best way to keep track of these networks? Is there a site where I can access them all from a single page and manage them with ease? Or should I be paring them all down to the bare minimum that are already working for me?

UPDATE: I've been playing around with FriendFeed and also use the Lijit widget now to consolidate some of my Web content on social networking sites. This one is still a quandry, though.

What are your burning business questions and quandaries? Talk about them here!