Running a small business is not for everyone. A small or micro business can offer a huge range of benefits and opportunities… but also comes with more than its fair share of challenges! I come across many of these challenges again and again, both in my own business and those of my coaching clients. One of the most difficult to address is the question of where the business owner ends and the business begins.
Have you come across this issue? It can be particularly tricky for service-related businesses. After all, when you are the product how can you maintain separation between you the individual and you the business?
Is this all sounding very familiar? You may be at risk of being ‘eaten up’ by your business if:
You can’t take any time of from your business because no one can replace you
You spend more time talking to your spouse or partner about your business than anything else
You regularly give up your free time to catch up on work
You can’t remember the last time you spent time developing non-work related skills or interests
You spend more time networking with other business owners than you do socialising with friends
You spend a lot of time using social media exclusively for your business
You feel you are caught up in growing your business rather than taking time to consider an ideal work/life balance
You mainly define yourself by what you do in your business
It can be uncomfortable to feel that your business is taking over your life. This is true even if you are very happy with your business and absolutely love what you do! It’s important to take pride in your work and business, but when things get out of balance it can start to cause problems.
After all, no matter how much you enjoy running your business or how successful it is, we all need to take regular time for ourselves. Becoming one and the same with your business twenty four hours a day, seven days a week is unlikely to be a healthy choice in the long run.
Want to make sure you don’t get trapped in a situation like this? Here are some little ideas from me for how to make sure you get breathing space and retain your identity even when you’re running what feels like an all-encompassing business.
Set non-negotiable time off
Most business owners find it difficult to mentally ‘leave’ their business at the end of the working day. There’s always more to be done and it’s easy to fall into the habit of working all evening and all weekend. It’s probably unrealistic to tell yourself that you’ll stop doing this completely… but what you can do is set yourself small pockets of protected time off. This could mean making a promise to never work after 9.30 in the evening, or blocking off weekend mornings to spend with family or get out into the fresh air.
Learn a new skill
Investing the time to learn a new skill can be incredibly rewarding. Doing this when the new skill is purely recreational is even better! If there’s a hobby you’ve always been interested in, why not make this the year you give it a go? Learning a musical instrument, taking up a new craft or joining a sports group can all be excellent ways to make space in your life for something that’s just for you.
Expand your business team
It’s difficult to maintain separation between you and your business when everything falls on your shoulders. Bringing in outside help can be an excellent way to remind yourself of this distinction. Don’t worry: expanding your team doesn’t have to mean taking on a member of staff. Engaging the services of a virtual assistant or freelance professional for just a few hours a week could reduce pressure and act as a helpful reminder.
How do you avoid getting eaten up by your business? I’d love to hear your tips and strategies. Why not share them with me by commenting on this blog post?
Last week I shared part one of my thoughts on the twelve business challenges of Christmas. Your response was great: thank you. I’m sure many of you found it reassuring to know so many small business owners are experiencing similar challenges.
We’re getting closer and closer to the big day and though a lot of small businesses are excited about the celebrations ahead (me included!) it’s easy to feel as if your to do list will be never-ending.
Know the feeling? Go on, give yourself a few minutes of downtime to read through my Twelve Business Challenges of Christmas. If you missed part one, you can catch up here.
On the seventh day of Christmas… not having anyone to do an office Secret Santa with
At this time of year it’s easy to feel as if you’re missing out by not having colleagues. You may speak to friends and family members who’s workplaces are buzzing with festive spirit while you’re in your home office all alone. Of course, when you run a micro-business there’s no one to do a Secret Santa draw with!
On the eighth day of Christmas… having to balance increased social expectations
Christmas is often the time of year we receive the most invitations. Parties, get-togethers, performances, catch ups and dinners can quickly fill up your calendar leaving little time for anything else. This is a particular issue if you have young children off school for the holidays as the evening may be the only quiet time you get to catch up with work. It can be tough to say no to social expectations at Christmas, but you may need to turn down a few offers in order to stay on top of your business.
On the ninth day of Christmas… constant interruptions from delivery drivers
Buying online is an excellent way to reduce the pressure of Christmas shopping but it will mean your usually peaceful home office is subject to regular interruptions from incoming deliveries. This is annoying enough when the packages are your own… but anyone who works from home will know the added frustration of being summoned by the doorbell to take in packages for neighbours!
On the tenth day of Christmas… working at home surrounded by tasty Christmas goodies
Once the Christmas supermarket shop has been done and packed away, the temptation to raid the cupboards for goodies can be strong. If you do a desk-based job from home it can be easy to get into the habit of festive snacking while you work. The odd mince pie will feel like a real treat, but if the habit takes hold you may find excessive sugar starts to negatively affect your productivity.
On the eleventh day of Christmas… knowing when to give yourself time off
It’s easy to be extra hard on yourself when you’re the boss. I’ve spoken to countless small business owners who struggle with actually giving themselves time off. At this time of year you will need to grant permission for at least a little holiday. Some business owners find it helpful to turn things around and think about what they would expect from an employer: and then grant themselves those same benefits!
On the twelfth day of Christmas… re-adjusting to quiet time once it’s all over
The build up to Christmas can be massive. But once the presents have been opened, the food’s been eaten, your festive guests have gone home and the kids are back in school, you’ll need to re-adjust to the quiet time that’s left behind. A lot of people experience a wave of post-Christmas blues, but it can be even more of an adjustment if you’ve enjoyed a lot of social time over the holiday period when you usually spend the work day alone.
Have I missed your biggest Christmas challenges? Hop on over to the Green Shoots Coaching Facebook page to get involved in my informal Christmas ‘support group’ for small business owners.
And of course: Merry Christmas! I’d like to say a big thank you to all my clients, associates, coaching friends and blog readers for your support this year. Here’s to a fantastic end to 2015!
The holiday season can be a wonderful time of year. In the weeks to come most people will be enjoying delicious food, festive drinks, gift-giving and family time. Of course, that’s not to say that December is without its challenges. In between the Christmas joy and cheer… many of us will be tempted to tear our hair out!
This is definitely true for business owners. Christmas can bring with it a whole host of business challenges, and some of them can be seriously tricky to navigate.
In the spirit of the season, I’ve put together the twelve business challenges of Christmas. You’ll find the first six below, please check back next Monday for part two.
On the first day of Christmas… having too much work
In some industries, December is the busiest time of year. This makes sense if you run a restaurant or gift shop and you’ll probably have drafted in extra staff to make sure things run smoothly. However, many small service-based businesses also find themselves rushed off their feet as their clients request all current projects finished off for the end of the year.
On the second day of Christmas… not having enough work
Of course, the opposite can also be a problem at this time of year. You may find things go quiet in the run up to the big day and the week between Christmas and New Year can often be a time for tumbleweeds! Though it’s great to be able to take some time out, a quiet December can create problems for January’s cashflow.
On the third day of Christmas… childcare providers breaking up for the holidays
If you have school aged children it can be tough to manage childcare during the two week Christmas holiday. You may also struggle with keeping your routine with pre-school children, as private nurseries and childminders often close their doors for a week or more in late December. Family time is precious, but if you’ve got a desperately long to do list it can be difficult to really appreciate it.
On the fourth day of Christmas… family commitments during business hours
School nativity plays, visits to Father Christmas’ grotto, visiting relatives and lunch invitations will often crop up during your key working hours. Finding a balance between taking time out to enjoy these and keeping on top of business commitments can be extremely frustrating.
On the fifth day of Christmas… Christmas party jealousy
Here’s one for micro and small business owners! All the talk of fancy Christmas parties might make you green with envy, especially if your spouse has one to go to and you’re not invited. Luckily, you may not have to miss out all together: many networking organisations hold special christmas dos designed for solopreneurs.
On the sixth day of Christmas… having to explain your business to elderly relatives
Many micro business owners and freelancers will have to tackle the yearly task of fielding questions from confused relatives about exactly what it is they do. Here’s a suggestion: consider it an opportunity to practice your elevator pitch!
Can you identify with these business challenges?! I’ll be running an informal Christmas ‘support group’ for small business owners on the Green Shoots Coaching Facebook page! Why not pop over and share your festive business woes?
When I tell you that there are only seventeen days till Christmas, how does that make you feel?
If the emotions that spring to mind are excitement or sereneness, that’s great news. But if the thought of tinsel and present-wrapping has you panicking, you may want to stop and have a good think about how you’re going to handle the holidays ahead.
Running a micro business can be challenging all year round. When you’re in charge of a one-person-band it can often be tricky to know where your personal life ends and your business starts. Many micro-business owners work from home, which can make the festive period particularly hard to navigate.
No need to worry! There are plenty of things you can do to holiday-proof your micro business and ensure that things stay running smoothly despite the festive chaos.
Here are a few suggestions from me:
Find a back up workspace
Many of the micro business owners I work with are also parents. This means that over the school holidays they often lose their quiet home-based office to a flurry of child-related activities! Depending on the age of your children and the availability of childcare, there may not be a way to avoid this. In these cases, the most productive thing you can do for your business might be to find an alternative workspace out of the house. The library, your local coffee shop or a co-working space could be a real business saver!
Diarise when you’re working and when you’re not
Almost all of us will want to take a well-deserved chunk of time away from work over the Christmas period. When you run a micro business it can be tempting to aim to squeeze in a couple of hours work even when you’re supposed to be relaxing. My advice is that you shouldn’t do this! All business owners need downtime, and the festive period is an excellent time to shut up shop and while away a few chilled days with family. Decide now when you’re going to work and when you’re going to take time off, write those dates in your diary and stick to them!
Handle the Christmas shopping online
When there’s little separation between work and personal life, sometimes the only way to keep things calm on the business front is to make sure your personal tasks and errands are under control. Christmas shopping can be very stressful: so it’s wise to get it out of the way as early as possible. Buying presents and the festive food shop online can help keep seasonal stress under control and means you’re less likely to have to lose valuable working hours battling the shops.
Plan recovery days
Christmas and New Year is a time for family, and many of us will be planning to spend time with family. This may mean traveling to see them or perhaps inviting them to visit us. Whichever way round you’re planning on doing this, do remember that it’s likely to be more time consuming and tiring that you think! I advise yourself to schedule a ‘recovery day’ either side of family visits where you don’t expect to get a great deal of work done. Forgive yourself for this lack of productivity and know that in the long run you’ll reap the benefits of giving yourself that time to recharge.
If you’re a micro business owner I’d love to hear how you’re planning to manage the festive period. Are you counting the days till you sign off for the break or are you dreading the whole thing? You can share your tips and insights with me here.
Photo by Justin Ennis
