Working for ourselves is often the dream.
We spend our time, money and energy creating and molding our dream into a business and during the process, a lot of us forget about the most important part of the business – ourselves.
It happens to many of us because we are focused on all of the different balls that business owners need to juggle, while it is common, we need to ensure that we are taking care of our own health and well-being.
By taking care of yourself, you are taking care of your business.
Here are a few great ideas to ensure you are taking care of yourself as well.
Make connections
Owning a small business can be lonely and isolating. When working alone, you will find that the lack of social connections can be a trigger for stress.
Take advantage of hiring an affordable office for one day each week. A lot of businesses also offer a hot desk area. These options will allow you to meet with like-minded business owners and engage in a lot more social interaction.
Prioritise and plan your day
When you are a small business owner, each day differs. One day might be for accounting, the next is for clients and the next is for marketing. The truth is you wear a lot of hats.
To be able to handle a busy and productive day, you should spend a little time each afternoon prioritising your tasks and planning the next day.
Here are a few of my favourite tips:
- Start making to-do lists: have a to-do list for each day of the week and have a general to-do list of tasks which can be done when you have spare time.
- Time block: use a calendar each day and physically cross out times for certain tasks. For example, 9 am – 10 am = Emails, 10 am – 10.15 am = find an office to hire for a meeting next week
- Take a break: when planning your day, always ensure you leave enough time to get up and walk around, have your lunch away from your desk and drink plenty of water.
Outsource
Did you know that you can start outsourcing from the second you start a business? There is no time frame or amount of money you need to earn before asking for help.
You can easily avoid stress, overwhelm and worry by outsourcing tasks you can’t do or simply don’t want to do.
At Mint Business Centre, we offer a range of services to make your day as a business owner easier. Our most popular services are phone answering, virtual assistant and meeting room hire.
Take care of your body
At the end of a busy day, you probably want to indulge in some greasy take-away and watch TV. Trust me, I’ve been there.
One of my biggest tips to taking care of yourself as a small business owner is to take care of your body, this can involve drinking plenty of water during the day, exercising, eating nourishing foods and sleeping at least 8 hours a night.
The most important aspect of your business is you, so make sure you’re taking care of yourself too.