You always had a dream to own your own business, right? A dream to build something or create something based on your talents and experiences. You wanted to know that you could do it, that you could succeed. But nobody told you about the small business burnout.
The dream and the reality came together as you put in 12-15 hour days, 6-7 days a week. Your family members and pets were left looking at a happy picture of you just to remember who you were.
Schedule a no-obligation consultation with a small-business expert from 1-800Accountant.
A Small Business is Hard Work
Owning and running a business is hard work. It requires consistent day-in and day-out attention, and the rewards might be months, or even years, down the road.
So how do you avoid small business burnout?
As an entrepreneur, there are times when you have to force yourself to find a balance between your work life and your personal life. It’s all about managing your time, effectively and efficiently, so that you are productive and successful in your business for many years to come.
Maintain Your Health
Maintaining your health involves getting enough sleep, exercise and good nutrition.
Each of our needs in these areas will differ. There is not one prescribed plan that will work for everyone. You need to get appropriate sleep to function at your best level. You need to exercise and eat well to keep your body healthy and full of energy.
Keep a Positive Attitude
You must strive to maintain a positive and confident attitude. Focus on the good that you’re doing and the people that appreciate you. Recognize your strengths. Always remember the dream you started with when you set out to build and create your business.
Organize Your Small Business
Organization is key to helping you remain focused and productive. It will help you find things quicker. Organization will help you get things done faster. It will help you know when items are running low so you can reorder them. It will help you be proactive instead of reactive.
Don’t Burn Out Your Schedule
There are three keys to a manageable schedule:
- Prioritization – take a few minutes to highlight your to-do list with the “must-get-done” items first. Take each task one step at a time. When you look at everything that you have to do all at once, it can be overwhelming. So step back. Focus. Work on one task at a time.
- Down time – purposely create breaks in your day. Give yourself 20-30 minutes to relax every now and then. Get away from your desk or work area. Take a walk if your job is sedentary. Sit and relax if your job is active. Over time, this will become a habit, and you will feel refreshed with a more focused perspective.
- Delegation – you only have so much time in your schedule, so get good at delegating tasks. You don’t have to do it all. Find people whose time and skills you can utilize, allowing you to maximize your time and skills.
Stay On Track
You will be bombarded at times with requests, problems, side-issues, new ideas and other people’s “emergencies.” Allow yourself to say “No” to tasks or issues that are not aligned with your goals.
This is not easy, especially when you think you have to be everything to everyone. Stay on track. Know your priorities. Understand and plan for your goals. Avoid small business burnout.
