Starting to feel jaded? Frustrated? Beyond exhausted? If you're at the point where your to do list is more of a novel than an achievable list, and you aren't sure HOW you can get it all done, you're at risk of business burnout.
As a solopreneur that acts as boss, manager, publicity pro, and intern grunt, it's no surprise you're burning the candle at both ends and it's not your fault. There are a lot of tasks that go into running a successful business, and they are all crying out for your attention. In fact, most people find that they work way more hours as their own boss, than they ever did at a 9-5.
Where you spend your time in your business is a very important factor to pay attention to if you want to avoid burning yourself out. There's a reason the phrase "work smarter, not harder" exists, and now is the time to take a hard look at your business structure and strategy. There is no need for you to hate your business, or to lose your work/life balance.
In the past, solopreneurs started their business due to an unexpected lay off, or downsizing at their place of employment. These days, solopreneurs are popping up from a desire for location flexibility, better work/life balance and improved quality of life. This is an amazing shift in personal empowerment, and one that we should all celebrate. However, the real life of a solopreneur or freelancer or small business owner is rarely sipping pina coladas on the beach, especially if you're still handling everything yourself, rather than delegating to a team.
As a freelancer, and solopreneur for over eight years, I can say without a doubt that I'm the meanest boss I've ever had, with insane expectations and no sympathy for sick days, vacation trips with family or fears about trying new activities. I push hard, and I rarely ask for help. Which is funny since as an online business manager, I coach my clients to not do those things! Pot calling the kettle black, apparently. Which is why I'm writing this. It's time for all of us over-achieving, non-delegators to stop, drop and delegate.
Are you ready to add more ease and balance into your work life? Here are the three biggest areas to address, today.
Outsource, Automate & Delegate
Your business is your baby, and it can be difficult to hand over tasks. Especially if you've been burned in the past with sloppy or MIA virtual assistants. But I'll argue that you shouldn't let one or two bad experiences keep you from moving forward with the biggest change to revolutionize your business. Your work day is full of tasks that can be handled by others, don't waste your energy handling them yourself.
When you outsource basic tasks, or delegate work that sucks your soul (i.e. scanning receipts, scheduling emails, etc), you're freeing up time to focus on your zones of brilliance; whether that is client interactions, outreach efforts like webinars and podcasts, or new product creation. Spending time on those elements of your business, rather than tasks that anyone can handle, will allow you to not only avoid business burnout, but grow your business more quickly and efficiently.
Other ways to save time are by automating emails, experimenting with batching out routine tasks and outsourcing anything that doesn't need your unique touch. Start small, and test different service providers until you find the one you can trust. Elance is a popular option for finding qualified help, or ask your business contacts if they can refer someone for your needs. Quality virtual assistants, online business managers, copywriters and so on are out there, it's simply a matter of finding the right one for you.
Incorporate Passive Products
Consistent cash flow is a struggle for most businesses, especially if your time is a necessary element of every sale. That means you're hustling for every $1, and who wants that? You can take serious weight off your shoulders by implementing passive products into your strategy. How would you like to earn money round the clock, whether you're sleeping or enjoying a lazy Sunday brunch? Passive products and a strong strategy to get eyeballs on that product should be next on your "get 'er done" list.
Time is your most precious commodity, and one that is in very limited supply, so protect it at all cost.
This is all to say that you need to make sure that your products and services aren't all dependent on your personal touch. What happens if you get sick? Or a loved one falls ill? Imagine taking a week or a month off of work, with limited email access. How does that make you feel? If it's anywhere near a pre-panic attack, you need to add more automated and passive earners into your business strategy. If you're running live events, consider recording them and selling at a lower price. If you're a coach, consider writing a book or creating a self led course. At the end of the day, your clients and customers care more about their results, than how they are delivered.
Keep direct access to you as a premium product, and layer in lower priced passive options for consistent cash flow. Added benefit of passive products? They create a warm list of invested clients that are ready to take the step into your higher priced services, and packages that include direct access to you.
Unplug & Take Time Away
This is a big, big, big issue for a lot of solopreneurs. Frequently we work 7 days a week, and are always attached to our phones due to FOMO (fear of missing out). This is a great way to kill your business by quickly burning yourself out. It's all well and good to be hyper invested during a product launch, or during a high intensity phase of your business but don't let it become the norm.
Time away, unplugged from instant connection, will refill your creative batteries faster than any other activity. Where you spend that time is up to you, but it's important that you aren't working on a new project on the side, or checking your phone every hour. True unplugged time is time away from your business.
Take a moment for yourself, and enjoy a hobby or relaxing activity, with no thoughts of work. That means not listening to business podcasts, reading self improvement books or catching up on blog posts. Get OUTSIDE of your business brain. Even a few hours of unplugged time, if you aren't used to it, can have big results.
All of these will help you avoid burning out with your business. Which of these three tactics will you employ today?