How to Achieve Work Life Balance as a Busy Small Business Owner?

Work life balance for a small business owner involves prioritizing your personal life just as you would your working life. It is important to balance the time you spend working with that spent participating in things you love, such as quality time with family and friends, or hobbies.

Some of the best aspects of running a small business include being your own boss and the variety in your day to day work. However, this means you may end up spending too much of your time working, which can interfere with your personal life and your personal relationships could suffer.

Small business owners are constantly overworking themselves and moving at a fast pace and although this can help progress their business, it can also lead to a burnout. When you are burned-out, you will no longer be able to perform at optimum levels and this can give you competitors an advantage.

Burn-out can be avoided by looking after yourself and taking some personal time, but, still giving your business the focus it needs to succeed.

Here are a few ways in which small business owners can achieve the ideal work life balance

Give and take

Some days your business may require more attention and time from you and others your personal life will demand more attention. Focus not on trying to divide your attention equally between the two but giving additional attention to either side as required. When starting out with your business, you might end up spending more time on activities related to business and your personal or family life could suffer. This can be addressed by putting a plan in place to structure your week, giving time to both the personal and professional side of your life.

Make time for loved ones

It is easy to take your family and friends for granted when work takes up much of your time, but you will never regret saving time for anyone who supports you in life. Make a date with your partner weekly; set time aside to help your children with their homework; schedule a lunch or dinner date with friends. This will show them you care about them and appreciate them and you will get to unwind and recharge in the process. This will result in you being far more focused and productive when working.

Establish boundaries

As a small business owner, you will need to set boundaries with your vendors, employees, and customers. The most crucial boundaries involve work hours, as several entrepreneurs fall prey to working long hours and sacrificing personal time to keep their businesses running. Set specific work hours, stick to them, and identify off days that you will obey, not to mention vacation days and embrace your personal time. Let your work remain in the office so that there is a clear line between your living space and your work space.

Self-care

If you are healthy, you will work better and thus more effectively. Being healthy involves keeping active and eating well. If you already have a workout routine you have established, maintain it and try not to let any work demands erode into this time. It is also easy to fall into the habit of eating junk food or fast food because it is easy and convenient to access. Prepare in advance and incorporate healthy food into your diet, regardless of your busy schedule.

Saying no

Even if you are the most organized person who manages their time very well, there are instances when you will not be able to do everything for everyone. Get used to saying ‘No’ and setting realistic expectations. If it is a busy season for your business and a community organization asks you to undertake a big project or a client makes an unreasonable demand, you can decline politely or propose an alternative date. When you say ‘No’ you can make room for things you deem important.

Take a break

A work-life balance requires you to dedicate time to all elements of your life, so that you can focus more on them. In order to succeed in business you will need to invest time into it; the same goes for your personal life. If you find that your work schedule is too busy, you probably will not be able to do anything personal without moving around your time which could be stressful for you. You can avoid this by scheduling in your personal time just as you would do with work tasks. You will eventually consider these time slots to be very valuable, helping you with your endeavor towards a better work-life balance.

Use Technology to your Advantage

Technology should make your life easier, not control you. Initiate Switch off  Policy. The average person checks his or her smartphone approximately 150 times in 16 hours, A one-day digital detox made one man realize just how important it is to unplug. Overworked, stress-out small business owner are driving a surge in demand for digital -free getaways (Digital detox), Ban technology at certain times so that you can focus on your family and friends.

Outsource or delegate your work

Most small business owners find it hard to delegate tasks to employees, especially if they started their businesses from scratch. This is mainly due to a fear of losing control or a fear of spending too much money. If you have employees, you should list down minor tasks you are comfortable delegating to them. You can also outsource tasks to professionals on a contract or a permanent basis, subject to the available budget. A good example of a task you may need extra help with is bookkeeping. You can invest in accounting software such as Sage 50c so you can easily collaborate to your accountant.

What is Sage 50c?

Sage 50c is very efficient in helping you save time on managing your finances, invoicing, taxes and so much more. This software has plenty of features that ensure the accuracy of your finances and availability of information to you or your accountant anywhere and anytime. Sage 50c  will help you achieve your work life balance. To learn more about Sage 50 – Accounting Software for small business, please visit the Sage 50c product page.