Most small business owners enjoy the freedom of choosing their own hours, working from their own offices and making their own rules.
Are they good bosses to themselves? In most cases, no. The average small business owner has never learned to delegate the tasks that they don’t enjoy or don’t excel at. They aren’t aware that there are virtual assistants available to help them with these.
They tend to push and over extend themselves, often to the peril of their own health, not realizing that some part of their business are high priority while others can be left to another day. The original intent of business owners is to have time for themselves, their families and their interests but they quickly find themselves so immersed in the business that they have little time for anything.
Even business owners need to stick to a schedule. That means not working 7 days a week, 12 hours a day. If you’re focused on your work, eventually you should be able to manage a business successfully working what others would consider part-time hours. You also need to be able to put thoughts of your business aside when not working and so many business owners have a difficult time with this. They also dread relinquishing any control at all to an associate or assistant.
Not all business owners are lucky enough to just work for themselves. Many work outside the home while they’re building their business and many have children they’re also responsible for and children don’t stick to a schedule. This is where you have to learn to juggle your many hats, ask for help and don’t push yourself to the point of exhaustion. A good boss knows when their employee has had enough. You want to enjoy your work, not feel that it’s just another chore that has to be completed. The most important thing you can do is make sure you give yourself vacations, even if it is only for several days.
Invest in yourself. The most successful businesses know that the road to long term, intelligent, loyal employees is to invest in them. Spend time education yourself on business practises that you aren’t familiar with. Learn something new, even it if doesn’t seem to pertain to your business. Expand your knowledge in any way that interests you.
Forgive yourself. We all make mistakes and remembering that will help you through the times when you’re berating yourself for something you did that you think is stupid. Appreciate the fact that you built this business all on your own and that each day will be part of a learning curve. Not everyone has put the effort into building a business and you should be proud of yourself.
© Chris Draper, DemGen Inc. 2015
image courtesy of coachwiththegreenhat
