Now is the time to curb the stress and get back to productivity. Here are four ways to get a handle on small business stress that may be preventing you from operating at peak performance.
Prioritize first
We all have a million things we need to get done and it can be easy to get fixated on the number of things that need to get done and become overwhelmed. The good news is that you don’t need to do everything at the same time. Take your list (or whatever you use to keep track of your tasks), and break it up into more manageable segments, based on priority. Then focus on just the top one to three priorities at a time.
Get a handle on information
Information overload is one of the most common sources of stress for small business owners. Once you embrace technology and open yourself up to information flowing in from different paths (email, phone, social media, instant messaging, RSS feeds) you may face information overload. This is why you need to have a few gate-keeping tactics in place to protect your time and keep stress levels down.
Here are some information management tactics to try that will help you control the flow of information:
Shut off email notifications, instead checking your email manually, when you’re ready to focus on it.
Only open chat and instant messaging tools for pre-scheduled meetings.
Subscribe to email lists sparingly; unsubscribe from messages that you don’t consistently read.
Use social media tools for scheduling and tracking.
Stick to your plan
Small business stress can also come from not having a plan or having a plan but not knowing how to put it into action. This is why it’s so important to have a plan for different aspects of your business that is more than “fluff.” Your plans need to actually outline where you are right now, where you want to go, and specifically what you will do to get there.
The links below will help you get started creating simple, useable and relevant plans that aren’t overwhelming and will help you outline specific steps you need to take in your business
Learn how to delegate
A common thread for many successful small business owners is having a vision and being able to execute it. This kind of vision and follow through allows for amazing and inspiring things to happen. The problem is, unless the entrepreneur is able to delegate from the beginning of the process, they are directly tied to the success (or failure) of the business. He or she becomes the business.
There are a lot of benefits to building a brand based on you, but it also makes it immensely difficult to step back and let the wheels keep moving without you. Learning how to delegate can not only allow you to grow your business to new levels, but it can also put you in a position to be able to take a break and know that things are still progressing in your absence.
Effective delegation can be the answer for the time-challenged small business owner who is struggling to find the time to grow his or her business. And when you take measures to set yourself up for an effective delegation process, you’re not only giving yourself time to focus on your most vital business activities, but you’re alleviating some of the pressure of always doing everything yourself.
Schedule regular breaks
If you are a scheduled, organised entrepreneur, you may have a calendar so packed with tasks, meetings and projects that it can be a challenge to find time to relax. The best solution to this problem is actually scheduling in downtime in order to prevent small business burnout. If it’s on the schedule, you’re less likely to book something else during that time, and more likely to stick to it and make it a priority.
To help you reduce the stress associated with over working, read tips on what to do when you’re overwhelmed.
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