How do you balance work and business?

Over the past twelve years of working alongside business owners, at varying stages of business from start-up to growth through to significant growth, it is apparent to me that business and work life balance is something that often becomes a myth, especially at start-up stage and in growth.

Many of my coaching hours have been spent working with business owners who become stretched trying to manage and spread their time across the various areas of business and the increasing demands of their growing client portfolio. The first thing that seems to be put on hold or completely taken off the ‘to do’ list, is balance.

For many business owners and entrepreneurs, work life balance is a thought and definitely for another day. However, in order to manage your business successfully through the start-up stage and growth, business owners need to remain clear focus and relaxed. Any signs of stress and over working will impact on the progress of your business and the decisions you make.

For my many years of business coaching experience, here a few strategies that all business owners can do, to maintain a healthy balance between their work and life.

1. Create a clear boundary for your working hours

For many business owners, working and being available at all hours of the day is normal, despite their personal lives and the demands that every day ‘non business’ life puts on them.

It is safe to say that this is ultimately an impossible situation, particularly in terms of being able to give one activity all of your time and attention, particularly through the start-up and growth stages of business.

It is good practice to create a clear timetable for your business hours and to stick to them. We all run different types of businesses, so your business hours may be very different to other business owners and that is OK. Setting a clear boundary in terms of your time will focus your activity during ‘business hours’. You will be surprised to learn of how many tasks and activities you can complete within fewer hours!

2. Pursue your passion

All businesses, at any stage of business development, require time, energy and commitment from the business owner and their team (if they have one!). Focussing all of your time working in the business can be demanding and it is easy to put your passions on hold, initially for a short while and then suddenly the passion is a distant memory.

I strongly recommend that you create time to ensure that your passion remains an active part of your life. Whether you block time out of your diary or you make this a group activity, it really doesn’t matter. The point is to keep a connection with the very things that help you relax and that you simply enjoy with no other outcome than personal enjoyment.

If you already feel that you are losing sight of your passions and feel that there is no time for them, please feel free to reach out and book a free 30 mins call to discuss possible strategies to consider immediately.

3. Delegating tasks

Managing and delivering within a smaller business setting (from solopreneurs to small teams), can be demanding and can easily create ‘busyness’, as passionate business owners focus, quite rightly, on delivery and quality.

That said, it is impractical for one person to complete all tasks and activities, across all business areas effectively and efficiently. This is due to the fact that we all have our strengths and weakness and in terms of our weaknesses, we need more time to learn and develop our skill in those areas.

Often, by delegating specific repeated tasks to other professionals or team member, who has he skills and knowledge your business need, will not only safe you time, but will also give you more time to delivery and be client focussed, ultimately supporting your business growth and safe guarding your work and life balance.

Work Life Balance is such an important aspect our lives and is one that is so easily overlook until it leads to burnout, high stress levels and health issues. If you would like to discuss the above strategies in terms of your business or your general work life balance needs, please reach out and let’s talk about your needs.

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