When you’re working long days and the 9-5 doesn’t exist anymore, you can easily lose track of how much you are actually working. Being overworked as business owners and entrepreneurs has become very normal, and yet working more and pushing beyond your limits can actually slow your mind and stamina. When burnout is inevitably reached, it can have a negative effect on both your business and life, and can take weeks to recover from. Sometimes the signs might not be obvious; perhaps you don’t feel stressed or tired and enjoy the buzz of working from dusk until dawn. However if any of the following apply to you, it could be time to consider reassessing how you run things and take some pressure off your shoulders.
Wearing All Of The Hats
When you work for yourself, you can end up wearing a lot of hats. You want to be in the driver’s seat, and consequently want to be in charge of every aspect of your business. The problem is, as your business grows it can be difficult to wear more than one hat at any one time. Orders come in, emails arrive, calls and clients are waiting…and you can’t do it all while trying to grow your business, or your sanity and your business will collapse. Many people do continue to try and do it all themselves, not realizing that outside of their door and at the end of a phone line are trained and skilled individuals who can help. It can be difficult to take off a hat and hand it off to someone else, but every time you do, you are opening up more time and availability to focus on the aspects of your business that you’re good at. Delegation can be difficult at first, but the rewards are so worth it.
What’s A Vacation?
When was the last time you took a vacation? If it was more than three years ago, it may be time to consider how you’re spending your time at work. It can feel uncomfortable to step away from your business – even if it is just for a short period of time – but without a break, you will be doing more harm than good. Your brain needs a rest in order to allow you to keep going and thrive in your business. You can recharge and enjoy things that you don’t have time for in an average week, and when you have someone looking after things when you’re happily sunning yourself and getting in some golf, you can have peace of mind and come back to work with your inbox taken care of and feel fully refreshed. You may find it hard to take that side step into a vacation after working so hard, but the benefits of taking some time off are very gratifying and will have a positive effect on your business.
The Weekend DOESN’T Exist
If you’re not familiar with the concept of a weekend, you definitely could be on the verge of overworking. Running your own business certainly demands hours that don’t conform to normal office hours, but if it is all work and no play and Saturday and Sunday never allow for downtime, it’s definitely time to take action. Calls and emails can still be taken, but weekends exist to allow you to fully revitalize your batteries and prepare you to come refreshed to work on a Monday morning. Without the break, you will feel physically and mentally drained which could leave your business in a hazardous situation. You can delegate your workload during the week to a VA, allowing you a 5 or 6 day week instead of a never ending work arrangement with no break or relief in sight.
If you can identify with any of these 3 issues, it could be time to consider bringing a business-grade Virtual Assistant on to your team. A trained individual becomes part of your team and can take tasks off your hands that enable you to get on with growing your business. Our service has been designed with successful entrepreneurs and business owners in mind. We know that getting started with a VA, learning to delegate and building trust can be hard, so we have a Client Success Team on board who are always on hand to get you started and be there when you need them. Don’t wait for burnout; get a VA on board now and watch the positive changes.