Running your own business is a real labour of love. And you know only too well that hard work equals success, so it’s only natural to put some hard graft in on a regular basis.
But as with all things, too much work can be unhealthy. Finding the right work/life balance seems to be a never-ending quest for many entrepreneurs. A 2016 study found that entrepreneurs work an average 50-hour week, and an estimated 660,000 business owners have felt a negative impact on their mental health due to a poor work/life balance.
Going home on time is a start, but what else can business owners do to try and achieve work/life nirvana?
Draft in some help
When you run a business just the way you want it, it can be tough to let go of every element. But it often gets to the point where you simply can’t do everything on your own and still have time for the fun stuff in life. Bringing in some outside help – whether in the form of a freelancer to help with your social media, an accountant to deal with the hassle of crunching your numbers, or even a full-time employee or an apprentice – can free up some well-needed time for you to be spending away from work.
Find the work pattern that is best for you
One of the joys of being your own boss is getting to set your own hours. But this is also one of the reasons that will see many entrepreneurs working above and beyond a ‘normal’ work week. Schedule your day properly, taking advantage of the times you know you’re at your best to do your most important tasks… and then stick to it! With the important bits out of the way, you’ll feel less inclined to end up working over.
Set boundaries
Not only can sticking to a personal schedule help you achieve more balance in your life, but setting other boundaries for yourself, as well as clients and customers can also really pay off. You might have a ‘no answering work calls at home’ rule, but if your customers are still calling at odd hours, it can be hard to ignore them. You don’t have to be completely rigid or stuffy – it could be a case of asking people to email you outside of your working hours, being quite clear on what is achievable in terms of time or money or simply just saying ‘no’ to extra work from time to time.
Make time for breaks
Just as you would schedule time for meetings, your time off should be scheduled too – from quick breaks during the day, to ensuring you get lunch and of course, that all-important annual leave. Giving your down-time the same importance as your work tasks can often be the key to ensuring you actually get any time to yourself at all!
Free up some valuable time by letting us take care of your accounts. Give us a call today to find out more.