The first year in business is incredibly challenging. Your schedule will be jam-packed and you will feel like you never have enough hours in the day. When your schedule is too busy not only will your business suffer, but so will you and your family. This article will focus on 10 ways to survive your first year as a new business owner to help you avoid burnout.
Getting burned out as a new business owner is easy because you are scrambling for success. You have your eyes on the end goal and try to do everything for everyone to get there more quickly. It is far better to focus on a smaller set of objectives to start with.
It’s also essential to keep a handle on your to-do list. Make a list of items that you can handle reasonably, leaving room for the constant interruptions that pop up throughout the day. This will help you avoid being randomly busy.
Here are 10 ways to survive your first year as a new business owner:
Even though it is tempting, never start your workday by listening to voicemail, checking Facebook or sifting through email. These are tasks that can easily derail you and send you into other activities. Instead, begin your day by tackling your two most important tasks from your to do list.
As much as possible, keep your phone away from you during the day. The constant ringing and notifications can make it impossible to stay focused. You can even schedule certain times in the day to check your phone to help you stay on track.
Another easy way to help yourself stay on track is to take action on your emails as soon as you read them. You can either read it and delete it, unsubscribe, or respond. Or you can file it in an appropriate folder for later.
Stay away from the internet. The quickest way to lose hours from your workday is by getting sucked into Twitter, Facebook, YouTube, etc. without a specific plan to use it for your business. Whenever you log in to social media, make sure you have a plan for how you will use it for your business and set a time limit for yourself.
You are sure to get burned out if you try to do everything on your own. Get a clear understanding of what business tasks need to be done by you and then delegate the rest. If you are the lone employee, you can always hire a freelancer to help you on specific tasks.
Automate as many of your processes as possible by using QuickBooks or another software system. This will allow you to cut down tremendously on time-consuming data entry. You can even sync your QuickBooks account with your bank account to make sure your information is up to date.
Procrastination is a time killer. Make your most difficult decisions first and always carefully consider your response before giving an answer.
The ability to multitask is not a virtue. It is far better to focus your energy on one specific task at a time. This will boost your productivity and keep you focused on the task at hand.
It is imperative that you never go into a meeting without a set agenda and time limit. You can even have your employees put their phones away or stand to help keep everyone focused.
One of the most important of the 10 ways to survive your first year as a new business owner is to take time out to recharge your batteries. Working around the clock is the quickest way to get burned out. Put set time limits in place for your working hours and build in time to do something for yourself that relieves stress and allows you to re-fuel your energy.