While everyone strives to keep family and work as separate as possible, entrepreneurs are especially vulnerable to falling into an almost constant flow of work. Owning a small business takes a lot of time, effort, passion, and hard work and this can translate into too many hours of working “off the clock.”
There are ways to help keep your family happy while balancing the demands of being an entrepreneur.
Communicate. Make sure to discuss with your family the basics of what is going on at your business. Maybe it’s your busy season or you are on deadline. If your family is in the know, they will be better able to handle the long hours and during-dinner phone calls. On the flip side, make sure your employees understand when you are off and who to contact instead of you for help.
Schedule. Quality time with your family should be on your calendar. Family events should be no different than business meetings. Both should be planned and should not be interrupted by the other.
Delegate. A benchmark of being an entrepreneur is often having a say in everything about the business. While you should be aware of what is going on every day, you also need to hire, train and trust employees that will keep your business running smoothly while you are away.
Shut down. While it’s good to stay connected to your employees and business, you need to have boundaries. This may be turning off your phone during dinner, your kids’ sporting events, vacations or at a certain time every night.
Focus. Whatever you are working on – whether it’s work or play – make sure you are concentrating on the task at hand. The more focused you are on your current effort, the sooner you can wrap it up and move on to what’s next. Plus, your family will be happier if you are immersed in your time with them and not jumping at every beep your phone makes.
Prioritize. There may be days that you won’t get everything done on your to-do list. Making sure you know what is most important on both the family and work sides will allow for a sense of accomplishment on what gets done and the ability to let go of what didn’t as there’s always tomorrow.
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As small business owners ourselves, we understand wanting to have a flourishing business as well as a happy family. Contact us today to discuss how we can help you keep your work, life balance by allowing us to manage some of your marketing. Reach us by phone at 219-323-3343 or connect with us online.