Managing Your Wellbeing as a SMB Owner
Many local smaller companies need to call in the help of accountants or business lawyers Melbourne business listings advertise, because they’ve reached burnout and can’t continue. They may end up selling or closing a business. Unfortunately, fatigue and lack of general wellbeing are real threats to business owners. You probably know how overwhelming the responsibilities are!
Implementing guidelines can help you maintain mental and physical welling, so you can keep on giving your best to the company. But you have to get started early on, or it may be too late to regain a sense of wellness. Here are practical tips you’ll soon see make a huge difference in how you experience being the boss.
Set Yourself Realistic Goals
Part of what makes owning a business satisfying is the experience of achieving something. The achievement can be the amount in your bank account and the number of sales, or becoming a keynote speaker for industry seminars. These goals also help drive you to keep going.
But did you pick realistic milestones and expectations in your journey of growing your business?
As exhilarating as it is to celebrate an achievement, it can be disheartening when it doesn’t happen. Even amid other victories, you may experience a missed goal as a failure. When paired with other stressors common to your role, it can very easily result in frustration, lack of motivation, doubt in your abilities or even depression.
However, the real mistake could simply be that you picked an unrealistic goal. When you chase a highly unlikely outcome, you’re setting yourself up for disappointment and creating unnecessary tension for yourself.
Rather discuss goals with mentors or your team and create milestones that are achievable. Everyone can benefit when a celebration of a reached goal causes the team to feel more motivated. And you’ll have far less stress!
Find Ways to Minimise Workload
As a small business owner, you often have to juggle various roles while you grow your team. Of course, you simply can’t afford to employ full-time personnel for every task. However, there are various ways to create more efficient workflows and reduce your workload. Consider the following:
- Outsourcing bookkeeping and accounting until you can employ a full-time accountant, so you don’t have to spend weekends catching up on balancing the books.
- Invest in software and technology that can automate processes.
- Learn to trust your team, so you can delegate more and focus on your areas of expertise.
By clearing some time on your schedule, you’ll have more time to get proper rest and relaxation, which is essential to manage general health. You can also ensure the next tip gets the necessary attention.
Schedule Your Selfcare
It’s natural to feel stressed and a bit tired when you run a business, but there are ways to maintain emotional and physical wellbeing. Taking time to pursue tasks that help you unwind or doing something that makes you feel energised are powerful tools in this regard.
Of course, when you’re worried about the month’s sales figures or finding a new supplier, you won’t think it’s very important to spend time on your hobby, have some downtime with friends or go for a jog. But before it’s too late, rather add it to your weekly schedule, and set reminders for these sessions—even if it’s just one a week!
Remember, if you wait too long, you may not have enough vitality left to mend your well-being AND look after the business. Proactiveness is key!
Stress Management is Vital
Above you’ve seen that stress is often associated with owning a business. Experts will tell you there are ways to better manage stress so it can have less of an impact on your well-being and day-to-day experiences.
The good news is that stress management doesn’t have to take too much time in your busy schedule. Simply become intentional about practices like:
- Doing breathing exercises when you feel anxious.
- Exercise of almost any nature, even if it’s not every day.
- Some meditation as part of your morning or evening routine, or during lunchtime in your office.
- Journalling for a few minutes before going to bed.
If you do realise stress has taken its toll, it’s a topic you can discuss with a professional therapist. Identify the main sources of stress, so you can implement coping strategies and prevent it from overwhelming you completely.
Create and Use a Support Network
Some business leaders may feel isolated in their roles at the top of the company hierarchy. Who do you go to if you need advice?
To discuss ideas, don’t underestimate the value of your friends and family. Some of them may have faced what you do now and can offer input. If you need advice, especially if you’re facing a challenge like a dispute, professionals like business coaches or commercial litigation lawyers Melbourne companies consult with can provide feedback. Use their support and expert opinions to help make the best, informed decisions.
Final Thoughts
You have your business plan, startup capital and your first clients. You may even have a few months of reasonable success to show. But will YOU as a person be able to push on until your small or medium business is established in the industry? Take care of one of your most important assets: YOU.
