How to Reduce Stress and Increase Efficience When Running a Business

Nobody has ever said that running a business is easy. If someone has told you this, then the chances are that they’re either lying or have never actually run a business themselves. Of course, working for yourself is incredibly rewarding, which is why so many people do it.

When you work for yourself, you have more flexibility and control over your business and personal life. Depending on your industry, you can work whatever hours you choose and work wherever you like. You also have more say over your business practices, your clients, and other aspects of your business.

However, you also take on so much more responsibility. This means that it can be easy to get stressed while trying to run a business. Also, multitasking everything can lead to inefficient business practices, wasting your precious time and money.

So, how can you smooth out the bumps on your business journey?

Scheduling Your Workday

One of the dangers of running a business is that you can get overwhelmed and overworked. This can lead to burnout and cause you to lose the enthusiasm you first had for your business. It can also interfere with your ability to deal with clients and deliver your product.

When you run a business, you have to balance finding new clients with working on current projects. Some people experience a “feast and a famine”, where they either have too much work or not enough work, without achieving a comfortable balance between the two.

It can feel like you’re out of control.

To steal an old saying, sometimes you have to take the bull by the horns. In this case, sometimes you have to grab time and make it work for you.

Unfortunately, we can’t control time. But we can control what we do with it. One way to do this is by creating a schedule. You may have to invest a little bit of time and effort, but it’s worth it for the long-term benefits.

You can use whatever tools you like to create a schedule. Some people use software to help them manage their time and projects, while others simply use an Excel spreadsheet or even a notebook. There are pros and cons to each method, but the key is that it works for you.

When creating a schedule, write down your current clients and projects, including any deadlines. Allocate time and find places to fit them into your workday. You should also allocate time to other business work, such as admin or finding new clients. Finally, pepper breaks into your workday.

Breaks are an important part of your workday. Working flat out is a surefire way to damage your physical and mental health, and it’s not even the most efficient use of your time. You need rest to function well. So, by scheduling breaks, you ensure that you are at the top of your game, so you can work more efficiently the rest of the time.

Build Your Skills

When you have a job, you use the skills that you have honed for that job. So, if you’re an engineer, you will have been trained in engineering skills and whatever you have specialized in. If you’ve chosen to use these skills in your own business, then more power to you.

However, it doesn’t take long to realize that a business owner is not the same thing as a professional with a career. You don’t just need industry-specific skills to succeed.

No matter what industry you’re in, you also need to have a well-rounded balance of skills to help you run your business, as well as work on clients. If you look back to the previous section about scheduling your workday, you will have noticed that “admin, finding clients, and other business duties” are all part of your schedule.

After all, even if you’re the best engineer in the world, you won’t be able to run a business if you can’t find a client.

As well as dedicating time to these other business duties, it can be beneficial to train yourself in key business skills. This will give you the skills to deal with clients, tackle administrative duties, and market your business.

Build Your Team

Most people aren’t good at everything. Even if you do happen to be one of those people who can master almost every skill, you can’t be in two places at once. Running a business is like juggling, you’ve got a lot of balls in the air and if you drop even one, it can cause major issues.

So, why not reduce the number of balls that you have to juggle and pass them on to someone else?

It’s true that taking on extra team members adds stress and complexity to your business. But it’s also the only way to allow your business to grow. Also, there are ways to delegate jobs to other people without having to commit to hiring more people.

One of the best options for businesses, both small and large, is to outsource certain tasks to other businesses and freelancers. For example, while accounting isn’t something you might have to do every day, it’s still a hugely important part of your business.

If you make a mistake, which you’re more likely to do if you don’t have the training of your average accountant, then it can be extremely difficult to claw your way back. The trick is to not give yourself the opportunity to make any expensive mistakes. Hire an accounting firm, like the Stephen P Higgins CPA Firm, to deal with your accounting and ensure that your company stays financially responsible.

As your business grows, it may become time to take on a dedicated workforce. Employees can be the backbone of a successful business, as long as you get the most out of the right people. When dealing with employees, it’s important to keep morale up and to make sure that you’re even more organized when it comes to scheduling, payroll, and everything else to do with admin.

Hire people to cover the bases that you struggle with, or to help with the day-to-day work. With a more efficient and stress-free business, you’re sure to succeed.