Find A Balance: 7 Tips
 By Alex R. Merriman

’Tis the season. And there’s no better time to feel the seesaw of work-life balance.

As a small-business owner, you know that managing your time is always a tug-of-war. But you can take action to ease the conflict, especially during the busy holiday season. Try these seven tips.

Tip No. 1: Avoid the crowbar
Don’t try to wedge as much as possible into your days. Overbooking yourself is a recipe for failure.

Instead, lighten your workload during the holiday season. Allow for unexpected events, such as clients suddenly needing a project completed before the end of the year.

Remember too that social networking during the holidays can lead to new business. So, give yourself ample time to attend open houses or parties hosted by suppliers and clients.

Tip No. 2: Set priorities
Not every task is must-do right now. Learn to differentiate between critical needs and things that can wait. Some ideas to help you:

• Put the needs of your top clients at the top of your to-list

• Negotiate longer lead times on projects

• Respond to inquires with “Can I get back to you next week with an answer?”

• Block out chunks of time for work that requires concentration; don’t interrupt yourself by answering the phone or immediately responding to e-mails

• Give income-producing activities priority over mundane tasks

• Set deadlines for yourself, starting with what’s most important to accomplish

Tip No. 3: Delegate
If you have employees, offload some of your work. If you don’t have employees, but do have kids, consider hiring them during the holidays. They can clean. They can organize. If they’re old enough to drive, they can run errands.

And check with your tax advisor. Hiring your kid could net you a tax write-off, too.

Tip No. 4: Get organized
Set aside a couple of hours to reduce the clutter and chaos in your office. File papers. Reshelf that pile of books. Put the supplies you use most within hand’s reach. Clean off your desk.

It will be time well-spent. You’ll work more efficiently. You’ll gain productivity. And you’ll reduce your stress.

Tip No. 5: Just say no
Sometimes it’s just not worth it to say yes. But only you can determine the trade-off.

For instance, an important client might want a dinner meeting. But what you really need is an evening at home with the family to plan holiday events. Just say no to the client, and suggest a lunch meeting instead.

Or maybe the chamber of commerce invites you to a luncheon. These are people you see and network with every month. Perhaps you should decline the invitation and choose instead to spend that time marketing to new prospects.

Tip No. 6: Disconnect
Managing your time is often a matter of setting boundaries. But in this age of wireless, always-on technology, the boundaries get blurry.

When you need personal time – for yourself or your family – disconnect yourself from the working world.

Turn off your cell phone. Shut down the BlackBerry. Don’t check your business e-mail from home. If you work from a home office, quash the temptation to slip inside every time there’s a lull in family activities.

Tip No. 7: Relax
It’s easy to get caught up in your professional life. It’s satisfying. It’s rewarding. It’s even fun most of the time.

But you can’t go full-tilt 24 hours a day. So find areas of your personal life that give you the same results. Take up a hobby that’s fun and rewarding. Plan activities with your family and friends.

A full and satisfying personal life will help recharge the batteries that power your professional life.

And your small business will not crash just because you take some time for yourself.


(Posted December 2006)

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