Yes, it has been a while since the last Marketing Therapy blog…a long while! Why? I’m not going to mince words here, friends: Our team has been up to our monkey ears in helping businesses grow!
We are thrilled to say that we are growing and helping others grow, and this sometimes means that some of our own tasks take a temporary back seat. Otherwise, our team would be working ‘round the clock and, as the title suggests, Headed Toward Burnout.
If you’re a business owner, these statistics from surveys over the last few years will not surprise you:
- 70% of small business owners work more than 40 hours per week, and 19% report working more than 60 hours per week!
- 89% of business owners work weekends.
- 45% of entrepreneurs use their mobile devices to stay connected and keep working past business hours or while they are on the go.
If those numbers seem a bit depressing, keep in mind that 92% of business owners do not regret starting their business. So, how do you avoid burnout and regret as your company grows? It’s not easy, but these tips can help you navigate the busiest of times.
-
- Remember your WHY. Did you start a business to help others, to gain experience, to have flexibility in your schedule, to make a lot of money? Remember why you do what you do; check to make sure you are headed in a direction consistent with your why.
- Set office hours. Even if you are working way more than 60 hours each week, set some “out of office” times for focusing on creative tasks that you need to complete without interruption, organize your to-do list, and get a grip on more complex chores.
- Unplug. I know, you think you can’t. What if someone needs you? No one is telling you to stop checking your phone and email for hours at a time. But seriously, I cannot stress this enough: 20-30 minutes of being completely unplugged will be of great benefit…and any help needed during that time will still be there awaiting you.
- Get organized. Find a tool that helps you and your team stay on top of it all- we recently started using Asana and we really like it so far.
- Set priorities. Not everything is urgent. Set realistic goals and prioritize the goals. Some important (but not urgent) things (like this blog) may have to take a temporary backseat.
- Stop having unnecessary meetings and calls. Could that meeting on your schedule be an email? Have you discussed that topic over and over, but never put action items on paper? Make your necessary meetings meaningful and efficient, and nix the rest to free up time for what is important.
- Delegate. When you need help, ask for it.
- Streamline. Look for tools that will help you be more efficient in all that you do.
I know what you’re thinking: Delegating and streamlining tasks can be difficult if you don’t have enough employees. This seems to be an issue for many businesses. In fact, one-quarter of entrepreneurs say that they have a hard time finding qualified employees. And this is where I’ll bring it back to Marketing Therapy, this is where we can really help you!
Outsourcing your marketing can be one of the most effective and efficient steps you can take toward taking control of and growing your business. Let’s take for example your company’s Facebook page. Facebook provides tremendous worth by being a commonly-used search engine, a platform for information delivery, an advertising platform, and a customer service venue. But it takes time – time you could use to be the expert in your field. Our team works together to ensure that all aspects are handled, even when you are unplugged and out of office!
Are you ready to get your business priorities in order, delegate some tasks in a cost-efficient way, and stop heading down the fast-track to burnout? Let’s talk!