The WAHM Shack Blog

by Veronica Robbins

There’s no doubt about it - operating a small business can be stressful. This may be troubling since so many entrepreneurs start their businesses to get away from the stress of working for someone else. Because of this, you may not be prepared for the stress, and that just makes it worse.

Why is it so stressful to start and operate a small business?

There can be many reasons.

If you are working your small business part-time while you are still working your regular job full-time, you are really working two jobs. The pressure of trying to do a good job at work, get your own business off to a solid start, and maintain your relationships with family and friends can be overwhelming.

If you have transitioned to running your business full time, there are ongoing pressures related to sales, cash flow, time management, and simply getting everything done.

If you have employees, the added issues related to managing employees contribute even more stress to your life.

Fortunately, small businesses have been around a long time, and the many entrepreneurs who have come before you know dozens of ways you can keep the stress level down and your work quality up.

Here are a few:

1. Keep your priorities straight. When you are excited about building or running your business, it’s very easy to get caught up in work and forget about what is really important in your life - family, friends, faith (you determine the order of importance). The better you keep your priorities in order, the more easily you’ll be able to manage the stress associated with your business. Yes, it’s that simple. Take some time right now to think about what is really important to you. Reorganize your schedule to reflect your commitment to those things at the top of the list.

2. Get plenty of sleep. Many small business owners will start early and work late, then try to have a family life before falling into bed for four hours or so and doing it all again. This is ultimately counterproductive. A tired entrepreneur is less smart, less effective, less quick on his feet, and less creative. Get more sleep, and you’ll find you actually get more done. Sleep is also vital to your health. Be very careful before you skimp too much in this area.

3. Learn time management skills. There are many books and websites that can help you develop excellent time management skills. You can start managing your time effectively by simply making lists every day, and keeping a time diary noting everything you do in a week and how long it takes. Go over this diary and find the things you can eliminate. Then eliminate them from your daily life one at a time.

4. Learn to delegate. Entrepreneurs are do-it-yourself people. However, you need to accept that you can’t do everything for yourself. Find vendors or subcontractors who can help with some tasks at a reasonable cost. If you have the resources to hire an assistant or other employees, delegate tasks to them. Spot-check what they’re doing if you must, but let go of a little of that control. Delegating authority is one of the most important executive skills, and you need to learn that anyway.

5. Start your day right. Start your day with some personal reflection or inspirational reading, not checking email. Then, prioritize your tasks for the day and address critical issues. Spend about 30 minutes each day centering yourself and preparing for your day. While it may seem like a waste of time at first, you’ll find that not only are you more productive and focused, but you will be better equipped to handle the stress that appears in your life.

6. Focus on the positive and what you have accomplished. If you do nothing but focus on what you don’t have and how much you have not accomplished, your stress level will rise dramatically. Be positive. There is some truth to the statement, “What you think about, you bring about,” so keep your mind focused on positive things.

7. Don’t neglect your physical health. Stay physically active. Get regular check-ups. Eat right. Not only does exercise relieve stress, but if you get so run down that your health suffers and you can’t work, you will experience even more stress.

8. Take some time off. All work and no play is a recipe for disaster. Unfortunately, entrepreneurs typically take pride in how hard working they are, so taking time off is often viewed as a weakness, rather than a positive thing. The truth is that the more tired and stressed you become, the less productive you are, no matter how many hours you “work.”

9. Finally, look for the joy and sense of accomplishment in your business. If you find that your business is only bringing you heartache and no satisfaction, it’s time to change businesses. If you can’t make an immediate change, start making a plan for a change. Simply making a plan and taking some action to get started with implementing that plan will make a big difference in helping to decrease your stress level.

Even though operating a small business is a lot of work, it doesn’t have be excessively stressful.

Veronica Robbins is a successful entrepreneur who has started and operated several successful businesses. She now shares her success by helping others start their own businesses. Read the many tips she has for new business owners at www.your-small-business-guide.com.

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

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by S McIntyre

There seems to be some confusion among many newbies just coming aboard the work at home train. I know how difficult it can be to wrap your head around all the information provided. Sometimes it’s as clear as mud and sometimes it’s just plain murky.

Let’s define work at home j-o-b. Yes, that’s job with hyphens in between it. Why? Simply because you will know I mean a job that requires skills and or experience, a cover letter, resume and an interview. You may be an employee or Independent Contractor with a set schedule and a set wage.

It is true you should never pay to get a job. It works like any brick and mortar. The exception to this “rule” goes to purchasing equipment to help you perform the job properly and this may include a headset or foot pedal. Sometimes a background check is required if you’re dealing with sensitive information, but this is done after you are hired and not before. Most companies will pick this tab up, but there are a few who don’t and there’s absolutely nothing wrong with it as long as the company is legitimate and reputable.

Now I just said it was true you should never pay to get a job, right? Exactly. Here is the difference and I’ll explain a bit later. In most cases, you can find jobs on your own. There are plenty of work at home sites that provide FREE access to work at home companies and job leads. Some are researched and most are unresearched meaning you have to do all the legwork. What happens if you don’t have the time or the resources or you’re not “the job searcher and sniff-out-scams” savvy type person? Then there is an option for you to pay a one time lifetime membership fee to receive access to researched and reputable work at home companies. Confused about the pay thing? Don’t be! Here’s my explanation. You’re not paying to get a job; you’re paying for a service; for an agency to do the legwork for you. While there are mixed opinions on this issue, it is simply that…opinions. Don’t let someone deter or sway you. Only you know the reasons why this could be a good solution for you.

Again, you will come across many sites who don’t provide a legitimate service. There will be some, who have a database full of jobs, but the jobs can be found everywhere or it’s not updated on a regular basis. There is one particular site with a very good reputation, comes with good recommendations and have been online since 1999.

[i]Pamela La Gioia, Founder and Administrator of Telework Recruiting Inc. provides recruiting services for companies seeking telecommuting candidates as well as a membership based site for individuals looking to find telecommuting jobs and telecommuting companies.[/i]

Whichever direction or option you choose and everything is clear as mud, I wish you luck in finding your work at home job!

S McIntyre owns Work At Home Space, a free work at home resource focusing on telecommuting companies, daily telecommute job leads, articles, business resources and other work at home related topics. You can also visit her blog Healthy Perspectives, featuring an array of health topics, nutrition, recipes and fitness for maintaining an overall healthy and well-balanced lifestyle.

Article Source: The WAHM Shack Article Directory

THIS ARTICLE is Free for reprint only if it remains unchanged and in its entirety, the Author’s Resource Box AND our Article Source Credit URL are included, and ALL links are made active.