How To Give Your Business A New Year's Spit And Polish
Whether business was good or bad in 2020, I think it is fair to say that all businesses faced more challenges last year than in any other year. As we start 2021 much of the uncertainty that we faced in 2020 still exists. Many state borders are still closed, borders that are open can snap shut at any time and global cases of COVID-19 continue to increase. A vaccine is on the horizon for delivery in Australia however it is going to take time for it to be rolled out and benefits to our daily lives seen. As we start 2021 with so much uncertainty what can we do differently?
Facing any challenge requires resilience, flexibility and creativity. Resilience is needed to keep functioning when things don’t go as planned and to quickly adapt to what life throws at you. Flexibility is what is required to adapt quickly. Your mind must be open to new things and not hold onto business plans and models that aren’t relevant in today’s business environment. Any challenge is just a problem that needs a solution. Problem solving requires creativity.
I will be the first to admit that this is easier said than done. When you feel that your whole world has disappeared it is hard enough to breathe let alone think creatively. The way to nurture resilience, flexibility and creativity is through self-care. It will give you the stamina to turn up to work each day, the ability to adapt and will create space in your mind to think creatively.
Self-care has become a bit of a buzzword lately and images of having long holidays and expensive spa treatments can come to mind, but that is not what it is about. Self-care is not an all or nothing proposition either. Working long hours to get everything done in your business so that you can take four weeks off only to return to work for more long hours to get everything up to date, and repeat, is not self-care. It is HELL!!
Self-care is the myriad of all of the little things that you do each day interspersed with some bigger things that you might do on a weekly, monthly or annual basis. Think of the rock, pebble and sand in a glass jar analogy. Your self-care tool-kit is the glass jar. To maximise what goes into the jar you put in a couple of rocks. This might be your holidays or other time intensive things that you may only do once or twice a year. Next will come some pebbles, there will be more of these. These might be long weekends away or a massage that you might do on a monthly basis. Finally is the sand. There will be more sand than rocks and pebbles that fill your jar. These will be the things that you do on a daily or weekly basis, some examples are consistently:
Taking one minute to breathe consciously in moments of overwhelm
Getting enough sleep
Prepare home cooked meals most nights of the week
Going to the gym 3-4 times a week, which includes a yoga or stretch class
Taking time out each day to sit on the lounge and pat the cat (time just to do nothing)
Taking time to talk to your business bestie
I find that dealing with any challenge is easier if your body and mind are in tip top shape.
What can you do to support yourself on your path to self-care?
We all know that women are notoriously bad at taking time for ourselves, so it is imperative to have the support in place to give yourself the best opportunity to succeed. Business owners carry a large emotional load, so having a business bestie is essential. Having that special someone that understands the challenges and fears you face, without judgement, can help unburden that load. It might be another friend in business, a business network, a business coach or trusted advisor.
It is also important to realise that it is impossible to wear all of the hats in your business (as much as you may want to). There is a cost to engaging a bookkeeper, administration assistant, website designer, marketing specialist or whoever, but it will give you back your weekends. What takes you all day to do, they will have done in a few hours. Taking back your weekends will allow you to refresh your mind and tackle the next week. You will be more productive and the money you outlay will be more than recouped.
How do you work out what needs to stay or go?
Learn to say no. Women love to help, even if it is at their own financial or emotional expense. You will need to put some guidelines in place. If you are in the business of selling a time based service say no to meetings or calls where you aren’t being compensated for your time. Value you and make it be known at the time someone makes contact that there will be a charge if they wish to benefit from your hard earned wisdom. A website link to your calendar with a credit card payment feature, in an email, is a simple way to manage this.
To reduce the emotional drain, set aside a regular day of the week and say no to client appointments. This is the day you can do whatever it is that brings you joy in your business.
By saying no you are honouring yourself. You will be all set to do what matters in your business and life to make 2021 your best year yet.
If you would like specific advice tailored to your business and circumstances, Accounting Heart offers affordable service packages where you can work with Sonia one-on-one to help you get your business where you want it to be. Book your FREE Discovery Call to find out more.
Disclaimer: This is general information only and is not advice of any sort. No warranty or representation is provided by Accounting Heart Pty Ltd as to the accuracy, currency or completeness of the information contained in this blog. Readers of this blog should not act or refrain from acting in reliance upon any information contained herein and must always obtain appropriate taxation and / or other advice as may be appropriate having regard to their particular circumstances.