How many hats do you wear as a business owner? Are you an accountant, marketer, IT troubleshooter, web designer, content writer, and HR manager all rolled into one?
If so, chances are you’re exhausted, overwhelmed, frustrated, and sigh longingly when you hear the words work/life balance.
It might feel like there is no light at the end of the tunnel right now. But, I promise you there can be.
Learning how and when to let go is just as important as knowing when to hustle. When you stop trying to do everything, you have more energy to devote to growing your business – and more time off to do the things you love!
Ready to relax your grip a little?
Take a deep breath and read on for our best advice on how to run your business without letting it run your life.
How To Manage A Business Without Doing Everything Yourself
Understand Your Purpose
Does your business have a strong mission, a clear purpose, and solid values? If not, this is the first place to start. The core vision of your business is the North Star that keeps everyone heading in the same direction.
When your team is engaged with what they are doing and why, they are empowered to make choices in line with the bigger picture. This allows you to step back, confident that your people are equipped with the knowledge to make the right decisions.
Hire The Right People
Your business is your baby, so it makes sense that you won’t be comfortable leaving it in the hands of someone you don’t trust! Not only do you need a team with the appropriate skills and qualifications, but you also need to find people who are aligned with your values.
You can do this by making sure you recruit wisely. Choose your team members selectively so that you can build a great team that you trust to help your business thrive.
Remember that hiring doesn’t necessarily mean you need to bring on an employee. You may find that a contractor or service provider can be the right fit for what you need.
Streamline Your Processes
Do you often do things yourself because it feels faster and easier than teaching someone else? Processes are essential in business. They may take a while to set up, but allow various tasks to flow effortlessly once in place.
Look at the jobs you do often – both big and small – that could be delegated, then spend time documenting the process step by step so that someone else can follow it easily.
Collaborate with other team members as you devise these new systems to pick up any grey areas and make them bulletproof, then delegate them!
You might also find this blog of ours helpful, which covers 6 tips to get your business systems in order.
Embrace Technology
Robots haven’t entirely replaced people yet, but many common tasks can be handled using technology. Of course, that means it frees up you and your team to focus on other things. Create a master list of every job you do, and find out which can be automated.
Posting to social media, sending email newsletters, paying bills and sending invoice reminders – there’s an app for all of those, and many more!
Think about how technology can save you time and money in other ways too. For example, Zoom meetings can save you a trip across town, cloud accounting allows you to balance the books from anywhere, and task management programs are invaluable for streamlined team communication and collaboration.
Lighten The Load With Outsourcing
Don’t have any employees to delegate to? That doesn’t mean you have to do everything yourself! The digital age hasn’t just blessed us with endless ways to procrastinate; it also provides us with virtual assistants and freelance professionals from across the globe.
Whip out that pesky to-do list again. Look at the jobs that take up too much time, the tasks you hate, or the chores you are not skilled at and find someone to take care of them.
While you may think you are saving money by handling these things yourself, often, a professional can do them much more quickly – and to a far higher standard – than you.
Outsourcing is a lifesaver for many business owners. Knowing that a trusted professional is taking care of your bookkeeping, your social media, or your general admin tasks gives you the space you need to focus on business growth and still enjoy the work-life balance you strive for.
So, if you are looking for the right person to help you wage war on the jobs that you hate, then chances are, they are ready and waiting here at Admin Army. We LOVE to help out clients by dealing to the jobs they don’t have the time or energy to do.
Contact us today and take the first step towards less stress in your life!