Think in overlap hours

The most useful number is how many working hours you share with your key clients. Three to four is a comfortable minimum.

A quick map

  • Clients mostly in the US: Choose a base in the Americas or Western Europe. Latin America shares US time zones almost exactly.
  • Clients mostly in Europe: Anywhere in Europe, Africa or the Middle East works. Western Europe gives easy overlap with the US East Coast.
  • Clients mostly in Asia-Pacific: Southeast Asia and Australia fit best. You can add European clients with early or late hours.
  • A global mix: Choose Western Europe, the Middle East or India, where you can reach two continents in a normal day.

Practical steps

  1. Make a table of your clients, their city and their working hours.
  2. Convert them to the time zone you are considering.
  3. Count overlapping hours.
  4. Decide how many early or late calls you can accept.

Sustainable habits

Set boundaries, keep consistent hours and use asynchronous communication wherever possible.

Because daylight saving dates differ, recheck the overlap twice a year.