As a small business owner, or a freelancer, it can be difficult to set the parameters of what’s working time and what’s your own, personal free time.
Unless you’re setting defined work hours or schedules, you may find that you become burned out quickly. And that’s not good for you or your business!
Read 4 tips to help you manage your work-life balance effectively so you can be productive but give yourself the much-needed time to recharge.
When and where are you most productive?
Working online and in the cloud means you are not restricted to one particular location or a standard 9 – 5 work day. Enjoy the flexibility of being your own boss and find out where and when you are most productive.
Don’t feel compelled to work out of an office if you feel more creative when working remotely from your favourite café. Similarly, don’t feel confined to strict hours if you work better first thing in the morning or last thing at night. Just make sure you schedule in down time!
Use a platform to manage your workload and schedule
Project management tools are a great way for you to list all your projects, prioritise tasks and store important notes and files so you don’t forget anything or miss any deadlines.
If you are struggling to keep on top of your work and forgetting things, you’re likely to become stressed and unable to switch off. Get into the habit of regularly updating your project planning tool – treat it as your own personal manager!
Let software take over a task
If you’re trying to manage too many parts of your business as once (such as finance, HR, marketing, customer service, employees and your own workload), you could be piling on too much pressure and not working to your full potential as a result.
Could some simple software or online tools help you better manage the running of your business in the background? There are plenty of affordable tools to help you automate marketing, organise finances and manage customer data. By taking just one thing off your plate, you will have more time and space to breathe and focus.
Take a look at our free Software Directory for advice on the tools that might help you.
Take time away from your devices
Although portability and ease-of-use are some of the great benefits of working from a phone or tablet, it can be all too easy to check your emails for 5 minutes to find an hour has passed. Once you’ve finished work for the day, be strict with yourself. Put the device away, give yourself a break from the screen and come back tomorrow recharged and ready to work.