Owning a small business is very challenging and can easily consume an over abundance amount of time. As the owner, you have to wear many hats and accomplish many tasks which can develop into what I call “work effort creep”. We start with good intention to balance home life with the business. As you get established things begin to click, business relationships are developing, a little cash is coming in, and you think……if I push a little harder I’ll get……(this or that). You experience working for yourself is pretty cool. As time goes on and you keep your eye on that dangling carrot, you drive a little harder and before you know it, you are working 16+ hour days or 80+ hour weeks. Adrenaline is now pumping through your system in an unhealthy way, sleep is lost, you’re not eating right, bills need to be paid and there is a little tension in the air – at home. Sound familiar?

This grueling schedule eventually takes a toll on the owner and the family, if married. The business is suffering as well. Your friends start asking why they haven’t heard from you lately. Life/work balance rapidly declines and stress begins to compound with interest. By this time, your best days of productivity are getting bogged down and some days feel like nothing got accomplished at all.

Small business owners can easily fall into the trap that they need to do all the work to control quality and save money. What if this wasn’t true? Sometimes a shift in thinking is all it takes to solve a problem. We get stuck in beliefs without questioning where that belief came from and if it is really valid.

“It doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money”

Working hard and smart are key ingredients to being a successful business owner. In today’s world of technology, social media and the onslaught of retiring baby boomers, there is a large resource of help available to business owners needing to create time for their life. And it doesn’t have to cost you a lot of money. For example, there are web-based services that specialize in connecting businesses that have small jobs or projects to be done, with people who could use the work. A simple web search will help you find this resource. Most of these resources claim that small business owners use their site to hire top talent remotely for small projects or a few hours per week, allowing them to remain lean and flexible while getting the job done. As I researched some of these sites, it also appears that individuals bid on the work which will help keep cost down. This is just one example of ways to create time in your life. Consider outsourcing those tasks or small projects to someone who can complete them more efficiently and cost effectively. Your time is more valuable doing the things that bring in business and cash, than getting bogged down and dealing with restless nights and other conflicts.

“Your time is more valuable doing the things that bring in business and cash”

I suggest taking a little time to identify some of the tasks you need to get done or that have become toleration because they are hanging chads. Match this work with a helper that you can afford. Maybe this person lives in your community, maybe they are in another country, in high school, or retired or unemployed. Additionally, you may be giving someone a hand up!

“Life is not all work and no play”

There is only so much time in the day or week. We have to divide our time wisely to live a balanced life. Life is not all work and no play. I wish for you to be successful in your business ventures. Managing your own business can be fun, exciting and rewarding. I also wish for you to be happy and healthy.