Why did you want to have your own business in the first place? Isn’t it because you want to spend more time with your family? What happened? You find yourself spending more time in your business than when you were working. You resigned from your job and got into the freelancing industry because you want to take care of your kids. And yet, your current boss is way more demanding than the boss you left behind. Far too often, entrepreneurs see themselves pouring their time, money, and health into a business that leaves them feeling stressed and exhausted.
You need to make your business work for you. If you have an online store, one way to do that is to boost its search engine optimization. That will rank your website higher on search engines, making it easier for potential customers to “find” it and purchase products from it. Of course, that’s easier said than done. SEO isn’t exactly a no-fail formula, but it’s one of the ways to be able to step back from your business and have more personal time.
What does it mean to have personal time? When was the last time you had dinner with friends and family? Your business should work for you and not the other way around. If your business cannot thrive or even survive without you, then what are you doing wrong? Maybe you haven’t hired the right people to manage it. Maybe you are not investing in technology. Maybe your processes and systems are all wrong.
Set Boundaries
If you haven’t already, set clear boundaries about what you are willing and not willing to sacrifice for your business. What are the family occasions that you cannot miss? Birthdays? Anniversaries? Make sure that your business can cope without you for that day. If you need to take time off for a vacation, do it but lay down the groundwork so that your people know how to manage the business without you. Set a time of the day that’s exclusively for you and your family. That will help you achieve more balance in your life.
Hire the Right People
You cannot leave a business if you don’t have the right people manning it. It’s easier for entrepreneurs to step back when they know that their people can manage the business without them. When hiring people, you want to make sure they are self-reliant. They should be decisive. They should be skillful in handling crises. The only way for you to be able to slow down is to know that your business is in good hands.
Invest in Technology
Why wouldn’t you want to use technology for your business? If you have a physical store, don’t think twice about creating an online store, too. Everything can be bought online now, so why should you be any different? Invest in POS machines, accounting software, inventory systems, and many more. These programs and devices will help you manage your business remotely. These will give you that much-needed time you promised your family when you started the business.
Yes, it isn’t exactly easy to step back from your business. It’s your baby. You’ve sacrificed so much for it, so why should now be any different? But remember what you promised yourself when you started it? You promised that you’d be less stressed. You want to have more time for yourself. Focus on those goals. If you believe you’ve done enough for your business, then watch it flourish from slightly afar.
