5 Must-Use Tips to Avoid Burn Out As a Business Owner
(And Get Back to Living the Life You Love)
Many of us business owners are moms and dads, too. Or we have a lot of hobbies, a lot of interests, and a strong desire to fill our lives with healthy habits.
That means that A LOT of our time is already spoken for.
The challenge is….our businesses are laying claim to that time, too.
So, what often happens is we go, go, go, go, go. We end up working so much in our business that we’re frazzled when our family needs us ( even though we want to spend time with them) and we’re failing to devote time to the things that make our lives full, healthy, and happy.
As the mama to a very busy boy, a business owner, and a wife to a husband who’s also very busy, I’ve found myself burnt out more times than I can count.
And here are 5 things that I’ve done to get back to living the life I love to the fullest.
1.Template It Out ( Aka Create Templates)
So often, when we take on a client or start a new project, we’re creating documents, emails, and even pdfs to send out on the fly. We’re reinventing the wheel every time we take on a new client, because we haven’t created templates for our business.
If you want to avoid burn out and create greater efficiencies ( and thus more time), get your template on, friend.
Template welcome emails, Q&A emails for regular questions you get, contract templates, response emails, invoices, and more.
If you have to write something once, chances are, you’ll have to write it again. So, document it and template it. It will save you TONS of time in the long run.
2. Map It Out (Aka Create a Workflow)
Map out every single one of your processes. Write down every step you need to take to give your client an amazing customer experience on their project and create a checklist for it.
If you love software, create a workflow in Dubsado or Trello, so that you or your staff can check each step off and keep track of where you’re at in the process. A lot of the software out there even lets you automate your workflow, so it will send out emails and invoices for you per your instructions.
Having a repeatable process documented will save you so much time on every single project.
3. Send it Out (Aka Hire a Team Member or Outsource)
Another way to avoid burn out is to send some of your tasks out the door or bring someone in the door to send the tasks too LOL.
Make a list of every single task that you do and then categorize them based on administrative, operations, bookkeeping, customer support, and more. Then, figure out which tasks you have to do yourself and which tasks you could outsource to someone else or give to a new team member.
This will free you up to do the things that you’re really good at doing, to focus on the growth of your business, and to enjoy more things outside of your business.
4. Schedule It Out ( Aka Schedule in “Me” Time and Fun Time)
Before you make your schedule each week ( or month ) or fill in your calendar with every to-do, social event, and extra-curricular activity, schedule in your “me” time.
Schedule in when you’re going to take a walk, get your hair done, go for coffee with a friend, or go see a movie on your own.
Schedule your “me” time first and then insert everything else around it otherwise you won’t get to it or you’ll be forced into doing it at the wrong possible time because you’re so overwhelmed you’ll crash if you don’t.
5. Section It Out ( Aka Set Solid Boundaries)
It’s so important to set boundaries around your personal time, work time, and family time.
When you feel something rising up in you that says you should say “No!” Say “No!”
Set boundaries around what kind of clients you’ll take on, when you’ll work, and when you won’t.
It can be so hard to stick to boundaries, but if we don’t section out our time like the good ol farmers of Nebraska section out their plots of land, someone else is gonna take it.
Can you think of a time that you didn’t give your best on a project because you had a kiddo crawling on you, a cold, and a demanding project you probably shouldn’t have taken on from a client you probably weren’t a good fit for?
In the end, was it a disservice to your business, your client, you or your kiddo? I’ve had some of those in the past.
Now, I can only tell you you should schedule me time, set boundaries, and possibly outsource, but it’s up to you to do those things.
What I can help you with, however, is laying out a systematized, branded client experience that woos your clients throughout every touchpoint of your business.
In my FREE checklist ( which you can grab below), I talk about creating the right systems to get your brand in working order, so you’re creating the same amazing experience for your clients over and over again.
In it, I cover all of the things that should be a part of your client experience.
Get your FREE checklist here: The Branded Client Experience Checklist
Hearts and Hoorays!