When you are working for yourself, or helping to start or build up a business, it’s often hard to stop working. Many small business owners work all day and late into the night. Whilst that might be necessary for a while, it’s dangerous to continue the practice for too long.
What are the Dangers?
The danger can take a number of forms. Not taking time out with your family can cause resentment, marital strife and in extreme cases, even divorce. Children feel unloved and can grow up with personality disorders and get into all sorts of trouble.
Obviously all work and no play will not be good for your health. You must take time for yourself to switch off and recharge your batteries.
In the long term, it’s not good for your organisation either. A weary manager can make serious mistakes, missing vital factors that should influence decisions, and a series of wrong decisions will have the business floundering.
Get the Help you Need
If you think you’ve been working too hard for too long, you need to do something about it right away. Look at your staff and see who could help by talking some of the load. You may have to recruit if you don’t find someone in-house. Learning to delegate is one of the hardest things for a business owner to do, but it will be essential before long if the business is to develop. Don’t leave it too late.
Don’t have any staff? If you are a sole trader who doesn’t want to become an employer, you could always use agency staff on a temporary basis. A temp could catch up with a backlog of mundane admin work, leaving you free for the important operations. You could even find yourself a virtual PA.
Outsourcing your bookkeeping might also be a first step to getting a better balance between your work and your life. If you already do this, why not ask your bookkeepers what other services they offer that might help?
