Small business owners have their plates full with an endless list of tasks. Everything from the daily operations, to marketing, training employees, and more stack up quickly. Most entrepreneurs I meet with are feeling overwhelmed and not sure the most effective way to move forward. So how can you overcome overwhelm?
Well I stumbled onto this great blog “Feeling Overwhelmed? 7 Ways For Overwhelmed Small Business Owners To Regain Control” and had to share it with you. The author takes the words out of my mouth about strategies to overcome overwhelm.
Delete
Yep, hit delete! Small business owners tend to get into a vicious cycle of thinking being busy means being productive. Yet in reality they are spinning their wheels and wasting time with tasks that get them nowhere. More isn’t always better – have the courage to delete tasks.
Systemize
Creating systems is the absolute key to success. People often ask me how I ran two businesses, maintained my health, got projects done around the house and still had time to relax. The answer is SYSTEMS!
Map out the things you do repeatedly and turn them into systems and processes. Things like creating a workflow for content creation or building a filing system will save you time and make you more efficient.
Streamline
Again less is more! Take the time to review your systems and make necessary updates to ensure they are still efficient and effective in saving you time. Oh and be sure to leverage technology to make your life easier. There are countless programs and apps out there that can streamline your task (more on that in a future post).
Delegate
Do what you are good at then systemize your repetitive tasks and delegate them. Being an entrepreneur is all about working ON your business and knowing who is the best person for each job or task.
Outsource
If you are a company of one, outsourcing is likely your best bet to take things off your plate. Whether it’s hiring a cleaning person for your home so you have time to work on your business or bringing on a specialist that takes care of a task you aren’t a pro at, outsourcing is a winning strategy.
Blocking and Batching
While it does have its place, multitasking isn’t always the most effective way to run your business. Batching similar tasks together and blocking out time to do them is productivity magic.
Simplify Your Mental Model
Small business owners wear a lot of hats and as a result their minds tend to be all over the place. Taking time to categorize the various areas of your business and dedicating time to each of those individually will make you more productive and strategic in your approach.
Conclusion
Being a successful business owner is all about being proactive and not just running around with your head cut off trying to put out fires. To overcome the overwhelm that comes with entrepreneurship, dedicate yourself to implementing these 7 strategies. And if you need help doing so, we are here! Just book a Business Coaching session!
