Small business owners don’t have the option to burn out. You’re the one at the helm of the ship. You’re the one building the business. Not to get too philosophical, but if the owner of a small business burns out, does that small business even exist?
But when you are at the rudder, you can find yourself burning out simply because there’s so much to do to keep your ship afloat. Similarly, you might find yourself feeling stuck in a rut, or stuck at a certain income plateau. Burn out is real, and it can be dangerous.
When you’re feeling burn out, here’s what to do to shake things up.
Take Time Off
It might feel counterintuitive, especially if you’re feeling stuck at a certain income level. It’s in our culture to push harder or work more to make more money. But the truth is that time off gives you a re-set. Time away from work helps boost creativity and might boost your overall happiness.
Time away can also give you the simple break you need to come back to a project or problem with fresh eyes. Rather than trying to cure your burn out with the very thing that’s burning you out, go in the complete opposite direction. Step away.
Try Something New
Try offering a new service, or beginning work on a new project. Mix up your routine. Trying something new is good not only for your personal burnout, but can also stave off any burn out brewing in your employees.
Offering new services can bring back your zest for work, as well as potentially bring in more money. If for example, you can start offering recorded videos to clients as well as in person services, you can effectively double your in person rates.
Hand Off What You Hate
Even if you love your business there’s going to be some tasks that you hate. Maybe it’s balancing the books each month- hire a bookkeeper. Maybe it’s invoicing- use a service like Due to automate invoices month to month and collect payments.
Take the things you dislike off your plate so you have more time to do the things you love. Thanks to technology growth, this doesn’t have to be super expensive. You might be able to use a software program to take the burden off. You can hire personal help or an employee if that’s what your business needs to grow too.
Burn out is not good for you or for your business. Use these tips to beat it and to keep your business sailing smoothly.
