It surprises me how often businesses and services that serve the public directly choose to have their operating hours Monday to Friday, 9 to 5.
This makes it far more difficult for customers who work regular business hours to use these businesses.
It's particularly surprising when I see these hours on, like, hair salons and small clothing boutiques in Yonge St. storefronts. While it's possible that customers could get time off work to go to the doctor, it's less likely that they could get time off work to get their hair done, and may well choose instead one of the many comparable businesses in the same neighbourhood with more convenient business hours. Especially with storefront space on Yonge St. being so expensive, I'm surprised they can afford to make themselves less convenient to their customer.
Also, if I think about it in the first person as a small business owner, why wake up early to open at 9 if you could instead sleep in, open later, and be available to the after-work crowd? If you're, like, a doctor, why not sleep in at least a couple of days a week so you have office hours where your patients wouldn't have to miss work? Why not work four 10-hour days and get three days off every week?
Even if you need to be available for deliveries etc., a very small business probably doesn't get deliveries every day. Be on site when you're expecting something, sleep in the other days.
If I had completely control over my schedule, I sure as hell wouldn't be waking up to an alarm! And if your clients are the people whose workday causes rush hour to happen, you'd also be doing them the kindness of being available at more convenient hours.
2 comments:
It amazes me, too. The two hair salons in my new town are open 10-6 -- slightly better than 9-5, but not by much. They're open Saturdays but are always booked solid.
I will say, though, that IME small business owners work longer and more grueling hours than anyone who is traditionally employed. Facility, staff, supply chain -- they are pretty much always working. I doubt they sleep in. But later hours would make a lot more sense.
If they're working significantly longer hours than their business is open anyway, that seems like an even stronger argument for later business hours.
Even if you can't sleep in, you could do your email and bookkeeping and stuff at home in the morning, then head out later and be open during hours that are more convenient to your clients.
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