Being a small business owner often place unreasonable demands on an individual and by extension, his or her family. As small business owners you know that while successfully delegating some of your responsibilities is the cornerstone to your business’s growth and success, letting go is probably the single most difficult thing to do.
BALANCING YOUR LIFE AS A PARENT, PARTNER AND BUSINESS OWNER
With all of that said, the fact is, that while managers of large corporations are not responsible to their customers or suppliers or only indirectly liable to the government for their actions, a
small business owner does not have the luxury of this anonymity. You are personally responsible for all aspects of your business, hence the difficulty relinquishing your tight grip.
However, you have a choice to make. You can continue to work 80 hour weeks, have a family that has lost their patience with you, have a non-existent social life, experience sleepless nights and still have a business that is not nearly as successful as it could be, OR you can choose to balance your life and grow your business effectively:
FOR YOUR BUSINESS
- Understand and appreciate that you can’t be everything to everyone.
- Educate yourself and clearly define and understand the needs of your business.
- Evaluate your own personal strengths and weaknesses as honestly as you can.
- Focus your responsibilities to the business on your strengths, where you can be most effective, while working on improving your weaknesses
- Hire people that will compensate for your weaknesses while enhancing your strengths.
- Create as balanced a work environment as you possibly can. Just as you seek balance in your own life, you need to afford your employees the same opportunity.
- Delegate effectively and learn when to let go.
FOR YOUR FAMILY
- Understand who you are and what your responsibilities are to your family.
- Understand the difference between your family’s expectations of you versus what you can honestly deliver. Stay true to yourself and in effect stay true to your family.
- Make your family a priority and make a commitment to yourself to always show up
- Set realistic goals for yourself with your family and always attempt to fulfill them.
- Take care of your health. Focus on being as healthy as you can for yourself and your family.
- Learn when to step back and when to step up.
- Create an environment in your home that is conducive to communication, understanding and harmony.
Creating balance in your life between home and business takes effort and sometimes seem impossible, but it is necessary and required for a successful and happy life.
Michelle Chappelle
President & CEO
A Bookkeeper 4 U, LLC