That sizzling sound you're hearing may be a symptom of a major hidden cause of businesses closing their doors. It's called burnout. And you may be its next victim. Often the last thing a business owner considers is his or her health and sanity. The burnout that results from overwork and stress can deliver a death blow to the very enterprise you've been giving your all to create. Setting a course for your business that includes the proper care and feeding of the business owner is a critical success factor in every business.
Burnout occurs after prolonged periods of stress and physical and/or mental fatigue. It leaves business owners feeling hopeless, powerless, cynical, and resentful. It creates an atmosphere of failure, stagnation and reduced productivity. Burnout carries throughout your business showing up in your relationships with your clients and employees and ultimately impacts your bottom line and the growth pattern of your business.
Typically, burnout occurs in situations where you feel:
? overworked
? like no one understands what you're going through
? confused about priorities and direction
? resentful about tasks that you don't feel rewarded for performing
? concerned about financial survival and security
? you have more on your plate than you feel you can handle.
In short, self employment and burnout go together like salt and pepper, peanut butter and jelly, and Donald Trump and real estate. The result is often a very unhappy, unfulfilled business owner who finally decides to throw in the towel and get a nice simple 40 hour a week job.
Recognizing that burnout is a serious threat to the survival of your business is a critical step in preventing or bouncing back from burnout. Burnout steals your passion, the very passion that caused you to start your business. Without that passion, your ability and willingness to do whatever it takes to make your business a success quickly diminishes. You find yourself resenting your customers instead of wanting to help them. You dislike your employees because of their constant demands. You snap at your spouse when asked how your day went. And you constantly feel pressured and unable to relax.
Understand that you have two roles in your business. You need to play both the role of employer and the role of employee. If you worked for an employer who expected you to work non-stop, never allowing time off, paying you far less than you're worth with no benefits, you'd soon have your resume updated and be out the door. And yet, that is the daily reality for many small business owners.
Remember, you are your employer. Are you creating a work environment of tyranny and maltreatment? Treat your help like you would want to be treated-incorporate benefits like flex time, comp time, and regular time off. Review a list of job duties to see if it's a fair and logical distribution of work. You need to take care of the talent just as you would if you had actual employees. Your business depends on your health and sanity.
Preventing burnout is a critical piece of your business plan. How will you keep yourself fresh and engaged with your business? What do you need to do to keep yourself from becoming overwhelmed? What tasks are overwhelming you? Develop a plan to outsource those tasks or find easier ways to do them. What adjustments do you need to make in your business so you can take regular time off?
Often business owners insist they can't take time off and can't afford to hire help. Regardless of where your business is today, as the owner of the business you have the power to chart the course of your business. If you feel you can't step away as things stand right now, begin to plan a direction for your business that will allow you to do so in the future.
Caroline Jordan, MBA is adept at helping self employed professionals create successful businesses without losing their minds. She provides advice, training, coaching, and services to help her clients Get Knowledge?Get Focus?and Get Results. If you are a self employed professional who is really serious about wanting to end the stress, frustration, and confusion you feel trying to run your business, visit http://www.thejordanresult.com for more tips, articles, and services designed just for you.
recurring maid service Wilmette ..There's no question that hard work and a little luck... Read More
Researching information for a recent business plan, I came across... Read More
One of the most common issues that comes up for... Read More
Let me get right to the point. The single most... Read More
Bookkeeping?the "dreaded" word is something we all have to worry... Read More
American small business is again in transition. Many employees, now... Read More
Having their own business is something many millions of people... Read More
Security Professionals provide the products and services necessary to create... Read More
SBIR Corner: FFP vs. CPFF contracts:In the SBIR/STTR world, the... Read More
Gather round while I tell you the story of Kennebec... Read More
If you own a mobile car washing, pressure washing or... Read More
Has this ever happened to you... 'John, you have a... Read More
Franchising companies often use Business Broker to help attain sales... Read More
In general, all of us know how to accomplish the... Read More
When is the Chamber ideal for your business?Joining a Chamber... Read More
Many small businesses do quite well due to the blood,... Read More
Self-cleaning glass has been talked about a lot, with such... Read More
Are you -- like 70 percent of small business owners... Read More
Where do you find the right people for a business... Read More
Tammy, a skilled and gifted horticulturist, called me to discuss... Read More
So what exactly is a "Small Business Lone Ranger?" A... Read More
There have been many great points raised on both sides... Read More
Car wash businesses are unique to other businesses. In fact... Read More
Many of us have noticed how some nearby communities seem... Read More
In these days of insecurity and uncertain futures, the tendency... Read More
last minute cleaning help Highland Park ..Cleaning the trailers towed by big trucks is not easy,... Read More
Just as you are about to say "good-bye" to your... Read More
A corporate shell could be liken to a house that... Read More
Here are some important points to take note of if... Read More
One of the most common horrific mistakes a business can... Read More
If you are a franchisee of a large franchise system;... Read More
Are you tired yet of all the books out there... Read More
COLLABORATIVE NEGOTIATING:Collaborative negotiating is a win-win strategy that can focus... Read More
Maximum efficiency in the cleaning industry is a key to... Read More
Here are just a few ways to increase and diversify... Read More
The Federal Trade Commission which governs the franchise industry thru... Read More
Why are we over regulation the franchising industry, what purpose... Read More
When pressure washing heavy equipment each piece of equipment has... Read More
There is much competition in the mobile auto detailing business.... Read More
According to the American Society for Aesthetic Plastic Surgery, since... Read More
The easiest way to lift profits is to cut the... Read More
So there I was ? sitting in the audience of... Read More
Is your business making money? Would you know?Figuring out whether... Read More
Achieving real success should be the goal of any good... Read More
E-mail and Internet use are integral parts of the typical... Read More
If you intend to franchise your company you will need... Read More
Here are a few tips on how to hand out... Read More
If your home business is not performing the way you... Read More
While I was hard at work last week, an everyday... Read More
How do marine type businesses start? Have you ever thought... Read More
Small Business |