It’s no secret that running your own business can be frantic at times. That’s always going to happen because you can’t predict the peaks – when several jobs come at once. Sometimes you just got to expect some mishaps. But if you have utilized precautions like the best business insurance, then at least you know you can breath much better than if you haven’t.
I guess I’m not talking about that so much as the constant frantic that drains you and causes undue pressure on you, your work colleagues and your family – especially if you don’t have hobbies like being able to play games for real money or sports or even a fitness routine.
So is it possible to avoid this and still run a sound, growing business?
Well there may be compromises to make but in my experience the pros out-weigh the cons and can even lead to business growth, while also investing in other things like trading, as there are resources like VT Markets which are great for this purpose. Hire the best service for your business.
You may have seen the Snickers advert with the slogan “You’re not you when you’re hungry – Eat a Snickers”. Well I would suggest that you’re not you without a healthy work-life balance, and that’s why if you work in a business, you can hire employees to help you since you can use a management software like pay stub to handle this.
Stress can lead to poor prioritising of work, dropping the ball on important tasks, poor financial decisions, irritability with staff and clients, poor communication and ultimately ill health and family breakdown. Unhelpful thoughts such as “I can cope”, “It’s what you have to do when you run your own business”, “the buck stops with me”, “I’m doing this for the family” etc probably means you’re in denial and you need to tackle the stress, like playing games such as FM카지노, before it tackles you – to the ground!
So here’s some how-to steps to break the cycle and regain control of your (business) life.
1. SAY “NO” MORE
Saying no can be very hard, especially in the early years of a business. But wisdom comes from learning what you are saying yes to that you you should be saying no to and saying no to that you should be saying yes to. Clients will not thank you down the track if you are taking on their work only to let them down further down the track. It only takes one negative review to impact your business and if that person / business has a high-status and goes public it could destroy you. Be very careful who you do business with. If their values/ethics do not match up to your own it will lead to trouble and cause you stress at some point. Some warning signs might include: asking for a discount for paying cash, asking for extended credit, wanting work yesterday, comparing your prices with the cheap cowboy down the road (comparing apples with pears) or the company that advertises on TV and is enticing your client with ultra-cheap deals that you know are a loss-leader or wanting the earth for the same price as your basic package. Not all these mean you should say no but you should at least be strong in your negotiation. Remember you can always offer them a phased approach if their budget is tight. Only experience will help you spot the bad apples and know when you are biting off more than you can chew but be prepared to say no to any business deal.
2. SAY “NOT YET” MORE
This is the compromise position. Not everyone who says they want something delivered asap is being truthful. I have often found this throughout my IT career. Some folk are just unreasonably demanding and feel they have a right to instant results regardless of what what their actual need is. Remember there’s a difference between what people want and what they actually need. Taking time over a project and managing it in a considered, methodical approach will almost always lead to better results – including a happy customer (even if they grumble a bit over the time-scales).
3. BE HONEST WITH THE CLIENT
If you hit a snag, tell the client. Buy time, warn them that timescales may slip and assure them that you are working to resolve the issues. Don’t ignore it and pretend everything is okay – that will lead to sleepless nights and greater problems down the line. Also be honest if the client is causing ‘project creep’ by asking for more than you agreed in the initial contract. Even if you decide to do the additional work without charging extra – let them know that it’s a concession. Otherwise they may well come to expect it in the future.
4. TRAIN UP OTHERS AND DELEGATE
Nothing that you do should be a sacred cow. Invest time in others. Actively seek to do yourself out of a job by helping others to do things better than you do. Hire Perelson’s Utah County recruitment agency when you need assistance sourcing and screening candidates for your vacant positions.
Don’t wait until you’re burnt out. Train your management team in every aspect of the business. What if you go off sick for an extended period? What if family circumstances require you to be at home more? What if you decide to take on a second business? What if you need to work abroad for a while? As you get older you start to realise the importance of leaving a legacy of younger folk who will continue the work you’ve started – but why wait until you’re older to do this? Happy staff have room for influence and the permission to take risks and make mistakes without being punished and as long as they have been trained well, they will quickly learn from their mistakes – as you did. You can also help them avoid the bigger blunders by being open about the lessons you have learned over the years.
5. OUTSOURCE
Yes you can give others a slice of the money. Greed and pride are deadly in business. Accepting help is what a mature business leader learns to do. Teenagers love to be independent but sooner or later most of us learn as adults that it’s okay to accept help from others and that we need each other. It’s called inter-dependence. It’s much better to have a smaller slice of the profits for a job and still maintain a relationship with a client than to just hand them over to your competitors. Remember there is always the possibility of repeat business down the track. Of course you need to be careful who you outsource too. Test them with a small job first and definitely take up references but remember they have a network too and may be able to hand you work in the future.
6. TAKE A SABBATH
If God needs to rest then so do we! If you have to work the weekend, take time back in the week. At the risk of getting political, it saddens me how much Sunday trading laws have eroded family life in the UK. If you drive around Germany (one of the strongest economies in Europe) on a Sunday it’s hard to find a shop that’s open. Children need quality time with their parents. But even if you have no immediate family, rest is still important. The average working week in the Netherlands is 29 hours and yet the average salary is $47,000! Studies have shown that working longer hours doesn’t make you more productive. The fact is that you can be more productive and work less hours. Remember we are body, soul and spirit. Don’t expect your brain to function well if you’re body is tired or if you’re stressed.
7. FIND A BUSINESS MENTOR
Sometimes it takes someone who is not emotionally attached to the business to give you the support and advice you need. They will spot when the pressure of work is getting to you before you do and give you that friendly nudge to do something about it. You might be surprised how many high profile business leaders have mentors. Sometimes all it takes is listening ear and that’s enough to get you back on track so make sure your mentor is a good listener and isn’t too eager to fix you with a tonne of advice – how ever well meaning it may be.
8. TAKE A HIKE
This is my personal favourite. Getting away from it all and hiking in the hills can be a great de-stresser. Any kind of exercise or recreational activity can help though.
Take a mid week break once a month and see the difference it makes.
9. WORK SMART
Are you working efficiently or do your working practices need a review? How long do you spend looking for documents or emails? Wasting time looking for something can quickly lead to stress, especially when you’re on a tight timeline. How many times do you put the same information in? Do you work figures out by hand or are you using Excel formulas? Technology can save a lot of time if it’s implemented well. For example a CRM (customer relationship management) system can integrate with your accounts package so that you’re not putting client contact details in several times. Document templates can save you time as can email templates. There are consultancy firms that will review your working practices from top to bottom and help you and your team work more efficiently. Remember time is money so take a step back and take a careful look at your workflow.
10. TRAVEL LESS
Travel time and face-to-face meetings can also eat into your week. Consider a Skype (or similar) meeting or use a product like Teamviewer to connect into a client’s computer and talk them through the issues remotely. If you need to meet face to face avoid rush hour traffic (if the traffic is unpredictable and it has the potential to make you late then this is another unnecessary stress) – maybe set up an early breakfast meeting so it doesn’t eat into your day too much or set one up for later in the day. Also travelling by train may mean you can get some work done during your journey so again plan ahead and think how your time can be used to best effect. If you must travel by car in the rush hour, could someone else drive giving you some time to work, make some calls and arrive fresh to the meeting rather than weary.
So that’s it. Not an exhaustive list by any means so please do share your own tips on how you keep on-track without work life getting too frantic.