Are You Running Your Business or Is Your Business Running You?

Being a small or home-based business owner can be loads of fun and very rewarding.

You may have decided to go into business because of your need for personal freedom or to fully unleash your creative genius. You may also have decided to go into business to supplement your existing income, to make yourself available for young children or aging parents, or because the organization you were working for downsized, leaving you to fend for yourself.

There are hundreds of different reasons why we become business owners, but the results we aim to produce remain the same ?

- You want to be your own person, doing something you love.

- You want to generate a profit that will provide you with the lifestyle you desire.

- You want to be recognized, respected and acknowledged for your contributions.

- You want to help others solve problems or fulfill needs.

- You want to make your own decisions instead of having them dictated to you.

- You want to pick and choose whom you work with and how you work.

- You want to experience freedom ? freedom to travel, enjoy quality time with family, set your own agenda, eat when you want, sleep when you want, etc.

Running your own small or home-based business can be immensely rewarding, yet if you get too involved with the routine daily matters and finer details of each task, you can get pulled into the vicious cycle of working "in" your business instead of "on" it.

When this happens, you become misguided and stop focusing on the tasks necessary to move your business forward at an optimal pace.

Whether you are a solopreneur or have a small team working for you, it is important that you don't allow yourself to get caught up in every fine detail of your business operations.

This doesn't mean that you shouldn't be aware of what is going around you, but simply means you only have so many hours in a day and how you spend your time will determine the rate your business grows, the profits you earn, the quality of service your clients and customers receive, and your overall happiness and personal satisfaction.

Are you the only person working your business at this time? If anything were to happen to you, for example, if you were to become sick and unable to work for a month, would your business operations come to a grinding halt and would your cash flow be brought to a standstill?

Do you arrange your own appointments, handle your own e-mail, do your own word processing, create your own marketing materials, keep your own financial records, manage your own web site, provide customer service and enter all prospect and client data into your database? Do you package, label and ship your own products?

If you answered yes to several of these questions, you may want to take some time to sit back and think about what these responsibilities are costing you, particularly if you are still working full-time while trying to get a business off the ground.

If you have been in business for several years and if you are still performing all functions within your business, how might this be holding you back? Are you working a 40-50-60-hour week, seeing little of your loved ones, feeling exhausted, and neglecting your health and nutritional needs? Is the fun no longer there?

Evaluate your current situation and determine whether you are running your business or whether it is running you. If you are being run by your business, consider the options of automating, delegating, bartering, leveraging and creating multiple streams of income.

When thinking long term, how do you see your business serving you? What kind of results do you want to create?

If your current activities are not moving you towards these results at an optimum pace, change your actions so you can free yourself up to do what is necessary to move you in that direction in the most advantageous way possible.

Laurie Hayes works with small and home-based business owners who are struggling to maintain a healthy work/life balance. To receive valuable tips, strategies and techniques designed to grow a successful business without sacrificing quality of life, subscribe to her free bi-weekly newsletter at http://www.wheretheheartis-lifecoaching.com

---

Franchises Must Meet Legal Definition to be an Actual Franchise

All franchises must meet the legal definition of a franchise... Read More

Starting a Pressure Washing Business

Are you thinking of starting a small pressure washer business... Read More

Operating Your Small Business ? Everything Really Is a Project

Do you operate your business as a series of projects,... Read More

Small Business Spoiler - Procrastination

One of the most common issues that comes up for... Read More

Knowledge is Power

Why does research and education play an important part of... Read More

11 Benefits of Starting a House Cleaning Business

One of the biggest fears people have about starting a... Read More

Motorcycle Detailing Procedures Manual Sample Outline

If you are a motorcycle detailer and need to expand... Read More

Marketing a New or Small Business on a Budget

There are almost as many opinions and views on marketing... Read More

Banking and Company Credit Card Policies for Small Business

Does your small business have a banking and credit card... Read More

Do Your Best; Hire the Rest

One of the hidden perks of raising six children is... Read More

Franchising 101- What You Absolutely Need to Know

Franchising has made the world look really small. The well... Read More

How to Start a Pet Transportation Business

Pet Transportation Services are needed as the number of pets... Read More

Using Holidays to Put Some Extra Cheer in Your Cash Box

No matter your age or station in life, we all... Read More

Preparing to Launch Your Small Business

Small business owners often enter their field with great expectations.... Read More

How to Profile a Client

At first glance, this topic may seem a little repetitive,... Read More

Make Your Business More Profitable

More sales and more profit. Isn't that what you want... Read More

A Key to Success: Be Consistent

Over the years I heard the best way to learn... Read More

How to Effectively Design Your Business Image

In many industries, image is one of the last things... Read More

How to Bond a Business Relationship

When should you create a foundation in order to solidify... Read More

How To Build Business Credit

Having their own business is something many millions of people... Read More

A Look at Small Business Incorporating in Florida

The choice to incorporate a small business in Florida has... Read More

Getting Behind in Your Work? You Need a Virtual Assistant!

If you don't know what a Virtual Assistant (or VA)... Read More

Your Business and the Story of a Tree; Part One

This morning, I went to take a short walk outside.... Read More

Building Marketing Momentum For Your Small Business

The success of your business depends on your ability to... Read More

Business Owner--Educate Thyself!

Remember the training programs, seminars, and workshops you had to... Read More

Dealing With a Crooked on the Take Government Worker

Many government department heads are on the take. Oh they'll... Read More

Tell Me The Reasons Why I Should Believe You?

Have you ever heard the phrase, 'PREPONDERANCE OF PROOF'?I recently... Read More

What are the COSTS Associated with joining Leads Groups?

When it comes to cost, how much can you afford... Read More

Do You Want Your Own Fully Programmable ERP? - Part 3

Continuing from the second article:6. About the aground mathematical model,... Read More

What is Rule 15c211 and Reverse Merger

Rule 15C211Under SEC Rule 15C211, a U.S. securities broker or... Read More

A Great Logo Is A Marketing Must-Have. But Is It Affordable For Small Business Owners?

And is having a logo really that important?My answer to... Read More

11 Things Small Business Owners Can Learn From The Miracle On Ice

1. Know Where You're Going ? Coach Herb Brooks had... Read More

Going Public by Way of Regulation D (504) Offering

Under the Securities Act of 1933, any offer to sell... Read More