Home
>
Time Management
>
A Fatal Mistake that Can Cost You Your Business ? And More

A Fatal Mistake that Can Cost You Your Business ? And More

Whether you're a new business owner or if you have been running your business for several years, one of the biggest challenges you face at one point in time or another is overwhelm and imbalance.

How many nights have you dragged your weary body to bed only to lie awake for hours with nagging thoughts of what you haven't done or don't have answers to?

How many of your children's' ball games and school functions were missed because you had business commitments?

How many evenings did your partner spend alone because you were burning the midnight oil by speaking on the telephone or hovering over your keyboard, workbench or reference materials?

Was this because you loved what you were doing so much that nothing else mattered, or was it because you felt you had to do everything alone?

One of the biggest mistakes small and home-based business owners make is assuming they have to become the chief, cook and bottle washer and perform all of their related tasks flawlessly and concurrently.

I know many entrepreneurs who suffered failed relationships and experienced great loss because they over-committed themselves to their businesses and let everything else important to them fall by the wayside.

Many of today's most renowned entrepreneurs and success stories will tell you of losses they experienced because they didn't know how to do things right the first time or how to balance their priorities.

I was one of those people.

When I was building my first business in my 20's, I locked myself in my office for days on end. I would pour over books trying to learn business skills. I would be on the phone trying to drum up customers using painfully ineffective sales techniques I made up myself.

I created my chart of accounts, set up my bookkeeping system and decorated my office. I made flyers and pinned them up around town. Then I went home and waited for the phone to ring while I studied my product literature and organized and created and collected endless sources of information I thought were necessary for business success.

My partner spent many of his evenings and weekends alone. He would make dinner. I would join him once in a while, then head back into my office.

I wanted to succeed. I wanted to be my own boss and earn my own way and thought if I could invest every possible waking minute of my life to learning about business and acquiring all of the skills necessary, I would create the success and freedom I desperately sought.

Unfortunately, the biggest lesson I learned was, if you lock yourself in an office for two years straight, there probably won't be anyone waiting for you when you come out.

I learned that I had been completely unrealistic and selfish in my thinking.

No successful businessperson has made it entirely on his or her own. If there is an exception to this statement, the success probably came at a terribly high price, and in the end, would you call that success?

What is important to understand firstly, is you must have a product or service that provides significant and perceived value for the customer.

What you also need to understand is you don't need to be an IT specialist, sales or marketing expert, professional copywriter, or have an accounting designation to be a successful entrepreneur (unless of course it is the service you offer!)

You do, however, need to surround yourself with trusted people who are skilled and knowledgeable in the areas you aren't.

It's all about creating a success team and leveraging your time so you are focusing on what is most important and on what you do best.

You've probably heard this many times over, but you need to work "on" your business and not "in" it.

You have the vision of where you want to take your business and the future you want to create, so don't allow yourself to get bogged down by the tasks that take you away from your big picture.

I learned how to do things differently after what some may call dismal failures. (I prefer to call them valuable learning experiences.) I became wiser and put my ego on the shelf.

I understood that working alone and trying to be and do everything was foolish and counterproductive. It didn't mean I was weak or lacking in any way.

I learned how to create a success team and a mastermind group. I surrounded (and continue to surround) myself with mentors, coaches and people who are always a step or two ahead of me on the life and business success ladders.

I have a Sales Coach who constantly challenges me to expand my thinking, and a Marketing Genius as my mentor who bestows his infinite wisdom on me, and moves me to higher and higher levels of development and achievement.

I have a mastermind group I speak with bi-weekly who share in my wins, explore ideas and opportunities with me, help me analyze results, and hold me accountable to remain in balanced action. I provide the same support for them.

Surrounding yourself with people who are as committed to your success as you are and who not only fill the gaps, but continuously push and pull you forward is absolutely necessary if you want to achieve business success without paying a heavy price.

This week, take an inventory of where you are allocating your time.

Have you created a healthy balance between life and work to the point you are fulfilled in both areas?

If the balance is tipped, what activities can be discontinued, delegated or leveraged to regain stability?

What type of people do you need to surround yourself with to ensure smooth, continuous progress without placing the entire burden on yourself?

Spend time on these questions. Be honest with yourself and responsible in your answers.

If you acknowledge that change is required in the way you operate your business, take action to make the change necessary, always keeping your best interests and those of your business in mind.

Laurie Hayes works with small and home-based business owners who are struggling to maintain a healthy work/life balance. To receive valuable tips, strategies and techniques designed to grow a successful business without sacrificing quality of life, subscribe to her free bi-weekly newsletter at http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com

maide service in Park Ridge ..

In The News:

Scammers create fake Evite invitations that mimic legitimate event emails, requiring users to verify senders and use antivirus software for protection.

The new Apple Watch hypertension feature passively monitors blood pressure patterns over 30 days using sensors to detect chronic high blood pressure signs.

Chrome extension spyware disguised as a free VPN service highlights security risks after it captured private browsing data from trusted sites.

New research shows how fatty acids in cooking oil can safely dissolve and recover silver from circuit boards without harmful chemicals or environmental damage.

The Fox News AI newsletter gives you information on the latest AI technology advancements, and about the challenges and opportunities AI presents now and for the future.

Anthropic investigates alarming AI abuse case where hacker automated entire cybercrime campaign using Claude, stealing sensitive data from defense and healthcare firms.

TikTok, Meta and YouTube restrict Charlie Kirk shooting videos with age gates and warnings while X faces criticism for allowing continued circulation.

Cybercriminals use fake troubleshooting websites to trick Mac users into running terminal commands that install Shamos malware through ClickFix tactics.

San Francisco startup Fable launches Showrunner, an AI platform dubbed the 'Netflix of AI' that generates animated episodes from text descriptions with Amazon support.

Apple raised iPhone prices for some models despite receiving tariff relief from President Donald Trump, with the new lineup starting at $799 for the base model.

A two-story 3D concrete printed home in Western Australia demonstrates faster construction methods that could reshape American housing amid rising costs.

Credit scores remain important during retirement for insurance rates and housing applications, while seniors become prime targets for identity theft and financial scams.

Scammers now send unexpected packages with QR codes that redirect victims to fraudulent websites or download malicious software to steal sensitive information.

Meeting AI tools record private conversations alongside work discussions, creating privacy risks that can be managed with proper settings and awareness.

Hotel privacy concerns are valid but rare, with methods to detect hidden tech using smartphone flashlights, mirror tests and scanning apps.

Improve your Wi-Fi speed and reliability with 10 simple router optimization tips that don't require special apps or expensive subscriptions.

A Columbia University breach exposed names, Social Security numbers and academic records of nearly 869,000 people, with notifications beginning in August.

Rental car drivers use AI-powered apps like Proofr to protect themselves from unfair damage fees as major companies deploy automated inspection tools.

Fox News' AI newsletter brings you the latest on technology advancements around artificial intelligence.

OnTrac data breach between April 13-15, 2025, exposed personal information of over 40,000 people including Social Security numbers and medical records.

A woman named Wika announces her engagement to an AI chatbot sparking worldwide debate about virtual relationships and technology.

The notorious people search site National Public Data relaunches despite a previous breach affecting 3 billion individuals, raising fresh privacy concerns.

Revolutionary TRAUMAGEL gel controls life-threatening bleeding from gunshot wounds and traumatic injuries, helping first responders prevent prehospital deaths.

Protect your home network by enabling proper encryption, creating strong passwords, checking connected devices and using VPN and antivirus software.

The Navy's solar-powered Skydweller drone flew nonstop for 73 hours in Mississippi, proving renewable energy can power long-endurance military missions.

A Fatal Mistake that Can Cost You Your Business ? And More

Time Management