As nice as it is to be a business owner, it does come with a lot of stress. Your client is not being responsive, your bank account is depleting, things are going wrong that are out of your control and you are still accountable because it is your responsibility to deliver regardless of problems.
There have been times where I have almost given up and quit all together because of stress. I have found though that stress comes in waves and is normally very (very, very, very) temporary. These are some ways to diminish your stress when operating a business.
1. Use other’s talents to your advantage. One thing that has always stressed me out is selling. I am a designer and do not like telling people it’s gonna cost this much and then convince them to go with us. So I thought of ways to relieve this and eventually got others to do the selling for me for commissions.
2. Do the hardest things first. I used to hold the hard stuff off. This tip is something I have heard a lot of people recommend but I want to repeat it because it is important: You should do the hardest things on your list first. This gives you more time to do them (and do them right so you don’t have to fix errors later).
3. Always double check everything. Fixing errors is a huge money killer. By making sure everything works the first time, you will clear up time, money, and the inevitable stress that comes along with it.
4. Avoid bad customers and clients. There are some people out there that you just won’t click with or who will try to rob you for all your worth (metaphorically and literally). Bad clients can be avoided. You don’t have to take on every client that comes your way regardless of your financial situation.
5. End bad business relationships. Just as you do not have to take on every client and opportunity, you do not have to keep them either. If something isn’t working out, it just isn’t. Stop torturing yourself and end it.
6. Have structure to your days. Keeping a general structure to how the days of your week go can really give you focus and thus ends the stress of the unknown. This is a personal one to consider because some need to have the same schedule every day of the week and some need to have certain days to accomplish certain tasks. Give it good consideration.
7. Take short breaks (or naps). During the workday, between large tasks, take small breaks to meditate, nap, stretch, eat a low calorie snack, or something else that calms you. Giving yourself this room to breath can really impact your productivity for the rest of the day.
8. Take random days off. If you work for yourself, why not take a Tuesday off? It is not as if someone will be yelling at you. When you wrap up that big project, accomplish your sales goal, or just need a day to relax—take it! It is amazing how less stressful the world is when everyone else is at work. You can move about as you please. No traffic, no lines, no crowded walkways.
9. Be prepared for trouble. To really be on ball when problems arise, be mentally prepared for it. In the business world, problems will happen. Often. This is something you have to accept mentally and not fear. It can even be fun to solve problems if you let it be.
10. Solve problems right away. In my experience, problems only get worse over time. To diminish the stress of them, work first to fix them. They are scariest at first but also the easiest to fix.
11. Have reliable business friends. Knowing the right people can really help. Have people who can help you with the work load, mentors and advisers, etc. to help you get solutions to your problems.
12. Have a backup plan for everything. When you go into a project, it is always good to trouble shoot what could go wrong. When you figure out what problems may arise, you can devise preemptive solutions. The Scouts motto is Be Prepared. Why the the Entrepreneurs?
13. Don’t check emails before days off. It is a terrible feeling to read an email about a problem needed to be fixed just before the weekend or whatever days you take off. If it is really that vital, the person will call you so there is no point in checking emails before or on your days off. It will just stress you out during your off time.
14. Simplify your workday. By allowing yourself to cross off the less important stuff, you can really free up time. I use the 80/20 rule which states that 20% of the work you do generates 80% of the outcome. It has really worked for me so far.
15. Organize your work area. Creating a minimalist workspace and having a place for everything can clear up a lot of time of searching and reordering things.
16. Remind yourself of all the benefits. There are so many benefits in business. I made a pretty popular list of business benefits here. As long as you keep in mind what you are getting out of the deal or what the future will hold for you, it is easier to deal with temporary problems.
17. Give yourself release. Everyone needs to release their stress someway. Go bike riding, hit a punching bag, spend time with friends who can listen. The list goes on…
18. Do what you love. This, above all else, is what I want you to keep in mind. No matter how much money you are making or what you are doing, if it is not what you love you are losing out on something great and adding stress to your life. Find what you love to do—and do it. Then the stress will seem much easier to deal with.
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Never depend on one source of income. If there is only one source, you tend to bother more and when something goes beyond your control you end up with stress. When you have more than one source of income, take it easy attitude develops. Even if something goes wrong your approach will be with cool mind.