When business owners start their business, usually one of the things they want is freedom and flexibility. Sometimes as they get involved in their business, they start to work so much that that freedom disappears, and they are looking for a better work-life balance.
They get to the point where they’re offering employees vacation time, but they themselves don’t take vacation time. They feel that if they leave, the business just won’t work, and they need the business to work in order for it to continue. This is a very common problem among business owners and entrepreneurs.
The way to get out of this problem and find a better work-life balance is initially to find the time, create the time, carve out the time to work for at least 4 to 5 hours a week ON the business. Working to create systems to help the team, empower the team to deliver the product/services to the customers. The more the business owner can do that, the more their employees will be empowered to deal with any issues that their clients or customers have. The more their employees will be able to run the business, the less the business owner will have to step in every single day all the time.
Ultimately, a business owner should have a better work-life balance with the flexibility to wake up at 10:00 in the morning and say, I don’t think I want to go into work today! I have a team that’s taking care of the business and I trust them. I don’t have to go in to work today. And, you know, maybe it’s not just today. Maybe you want to go to Aruba or Jamaica. You know, you want to take a… vacation.
Perhaps you want more than a week away. Maybe you want two weeks. Maybe you want more than two weeks! You’re giving your employees two weeks or more of vacation. Maybe you want to go away for six months. Can your business operate for six months with at most, you calling in for an hour a week?
Maybe you don’t want to take a six-month vacation. Maybe you want time to start a charitable foundation, start another business, or serve on a mission. The same principles apply regardless of your ‘why’.
We want to work towards a business that will enable its owner to have a better work-life balance. With the ability to step away for a period of time with the business still able to run efficiently and effectively. That’s what will help an owner achieve the better work-life balance that they want. And the way to get there is to empower the team. By building the team and building the systems to deliver the product/service to customers consistently, a better work-life balance can be achieved.
In the book, “Instant Systems”, by Brad Sugars, he outlines 4 key areas of the business to systematize:
- People & Education
- Delivery & Distribution
- Testing & Measuring
- Systems & Technology
Brad also shares 9 steps to systematizing your business. You can find the Instant Systems book here.
If you are interested in setting up systems in your business to enable you to have a better work-life balance, reach out to me and schedule a complimentary coaching session. We can chat about your goals and how to go about achieving them.
