Do something for yourself!

So you finally took the plunge and are successfully running your own business. Sales are promising, you’re starting to turn a profit, staff is continuing to grow and to top it all off you’ve just bought a name plaque which sits proudly on your desk. You’ve made it! Right? Mmm maybe…

As a result of your thriving business have you began to forget about family dinners, taking the pooch for his morning walk, coffee catch ups with your best bud or even just some ol fashion time out for yourself to watch a tv show or have a facial?  It seems while SMEs are great at allocating their business hours many of you forget to schedule in a home or personal life.  As Lou Mooney puts in an article on ninemsn (http://finance.ninemsn.com.au/smallbusiness/planning/8277279/its-a-dogs-day) “Things have to change. If my personal life isn’t in order, how am I supposed to be running a business?”

Having a work/home life balance is so important to your business. Burning out after 12 months isn’t going to be very beneficial is it? How can your business run when the boss is having a mental breakdown? It is imperative that you allow time in the week to swap the spreadsheets for strolls, substitute the meetings with manicures or trade the emails for eating out.

You probably don’t even realise how much time you are actually investing in your business and there for abandoning your personal life.

Do a quick test, ask yourself the following questions.

• Do you check your emails on your iPhone/blackberry before and after sleeping? (While still in bed)?
• When was the last time you went for a walk, just because you felt like it?
• Do you have dinner with your laptop most nights?
• Can you recall the names of your children’s best friends?

You get the idea…

Find a balance before its too late, your business will benefit and so will your personal life.