Burnout is a common problem for many small business owners. Being a small business owner can be rewarding, but it can also be stressful and demanding. You have to wear so many different hats, from being the CEO to being the janitor and everything in between. This article will provide you with some useful tips to avoid burnout as a small business owner. If you want to keep your sanity and stay motivated, keep reading!
Accept That You’re Not Superhuman
You may find yourself trying to do everything, but you can’t. As a small business owner, you have a lot of responsibility and it’s easy to take on too much. This often leads to burnout because as the business owner, you’re usually expected to be everything for your company more so in the beginning stages: You need to grow your company and produce profit, while also doing the work.
It’s hard to admit that there are some things that just can’t be done, but it’s important. The only way you will maintain your sanity and stay motivated is by saying “no” sometimes and focusing on what’s most important.
Be Honest About Your Limits
One of the best ways to avoid burnout as a small business owner is to be honest about your limits. It’s easy to feel like you have to take on every task, but that’s just not possible. You’ll eventually burn out if you try to do everything yourself.
It sounds counterintuitive, but it is important for you as a small business owner to learn how and when to delegate tasks appropriately. It may seem scary at first, but delegating tasks will save you so much time and energy in the long run. It’s also a way for you to show your employees that they’re an integral part of your team. They’ll be more motivated and engaged in their work if they’re given more responsibilities!
Make sure that everything delegated is achievable by the person or people doing it. This way, they won’t feel overworked or overwhelmed either!
In order for someone else to do something successfully, they need clear instructions on what needs to be done with no room for interpretation. For example: If you’re going on vacation next week and your assistant needs you to check with them before approving any contracts, you should make sure your assistant knows what exactly they need from you before you leave so there are no surprises.
Take Care of Yourself
It’s easy to put your own needs last when you’re running a small business. But it’s important to take care of yourself. If you don’t, burnout will set in and your business will suffer.
You can start by making time for yourself each day. It doesn’t have to be long—even just 15 minutes is enough. During this time, try to do something that brings you joy. This could be anything from writing in a journal, meditating, or getting outside for some fresh air.
To help ward off burnout, also take care of your physical health. Make sure you get plenty of sleep, eat healthy food, and exercise regularly. If possible, make an effort to work out at least three times per week.
As a small business owner there are many different aspects of your personal life that are worth investing in—not the least of which is your mental health!
Know When It’s Time to Outsource
As a small-business owner, you may not have the time, expertise, or organizational skills to do everything for your company. That’s okay! Outsourcing your tasks can help you focus on what really matters: running your business.
I’ve previously discussed how you can grow your business with outsourcing and the advantages/disadvantages so today I want to focus on outsourcing to your website!
Did you know that your website can function as an employee? This is perfect for small to large businesses that are looking to streamline processes, reduce expenses, increase revenue and save time.
The options are limitless for your website but here are just a few tasks that your website:
Client Portal to streamline your onboarding processes
This not only makes you look more professional and organized but saves money on 3rd party systems
Additional stream of revenue by selling products/services online
One stream of income is too close to being broke, so why not list your products and services for sale on your website? Even if you list a deposit for services, this lets you know that they are serious about doing business with you. This increases your revenue!
Use a chatbot to answer commonly asked questions for you
Tired of answering the same questions over and over, a chatbot helps with this and pushes a potential customer closer to the sales funnel. This saves you time.
HR Portal
Need a onboarding system for new hires? Let them do everything online, reduces paper/ink expenses, saving time and money.
Collect leads for you
Let your website collect email addresses for you so you can market to those who show interest in your business.
Book appointments
Are you paying for a 3rd party tool to book appointments, why not use your website?
Event registrations
Are you paying for a 3rd party tool for registrations? Why?
Employment recruitment
Need an online application system, that not only collect information but allows the user to upload necessary documents while remaining completely secure and compliant?
The options are endless with your website.
Create Boundaries
Another great way to avoid burnout is to create boundaries. As a small business owner, it’s easy to get stuck in the trap of always being on. You have so much work to do that you can’t stop working. One way around this is to create an uninterrupted time for yourself where you’re not allowed to work.
This could be a time when you’re asleep, or it could be a designated time each day when you do not answer email or work at all. Maybe even schedule 20 minute breaks for every 2 hours worked. This will rejuvenate you and allow you to focus even more on your work when you are able to get back into it.
Remember – there are other aspects of life outside of your business! Create time for them too!
Set Goals and Stick to Them
Setting goals is the key to avoiding burnout. You need to set goals that are realistic and achievable, but also challenging enough that you feel like you’re constantly improving.
Setting goals will help keep you motivated in the long run. If you have something to look forward to when it comes to your business, then you’ll never get burnt out. This also prevents you from running around like a chicken with it’s head cut off trying to find things to do to move your business forward. It’s important that your goals are challenging, but not so challenging that they seem impossible.
Ask yourself what your ultimate goal is for your business in the next year or five years. Once you have decided on a goal, break it down into smaller milestones so you can track your progress. If you don’t know where to start when it comes to setting goals for your company, think about what makes your business unique or how it could be expanded in the future.
It’s important that these goals are specific enough that they’re doable and measurable; otherwise, they won’t be helpful at all!
Focus on doing what you love
This tip might seem obvious, but it is often overlooked. When you are a small business owner, you end up doing a lot of different things. This will include some things that you love to do and some things that are not as enjoyable.
It is important to remember what you enjoy because this will help keep you motivated. If you focus on what makes your day fun and exciting, then it will be easier for the other tasks that you have to get done throughout the course of the day.
For example, for me I love the designing process and despise all the backend, networking and marketing tasks.
If your business is one that doesn’t require constant supervision, then it may be possible for you to delegate some of the tasks so that they don’t take up as much time during your workday. This can also help prevent burnout by giving yourself more freedom during the day.
Conclusion
Burnout is not an option. If you find yourself feeling like it’s getting difficult to handle all the responsibilities of running your small business, it’s time to make some changes.