As salon owners we work tirelessly in our businesses to treat our clients. We give them a chance to relax, melting stress away with our healing hands and open ears to judgement free conversations, they leave the salon looking refreshed ready to tackle the day. But for most of us behind the salon doors are business owners feeling the overwhelm of juggling the needs of clients, employees and the everyday operations of running a business. Experiencing business overwhelm can take away the joy and passion you have for your salon or clinic but you can put systems in place to make your business work for you! I'm going to show you how to avoid the hustle.
Overworked: One of the first things business owners sacrifice is personal time, it gets pushed aside to fit in the never ending to do list but being overworked with little down time leads to stress and eventually burn out. Ensure each week you schedule non-negotiable time for yourself. Time to move your body, sleep, spend time with your loved ones and do things that fill up your cup.
Letting go of control: As founders of small businesses we take care of most aspects from the finances, recruitment, marketing, development and so much more but being afraid to delegate tasks deprives your business of potential. Outsource tasks to people you trust and let go of doing the things that don't bring you joy!
Perform a time audit: Where is your time going? There is often a gap between how you plan to spend your time and how you actually spend it. Conducting a time audit helps you establish everything you do in your day and how long tasks are taking. Once you have conducted a time audit on a full day, take some time to reflect on this.
Ask yourself-
- What tasks are taking up most of your time?
- How much of your time goes to focused tasks vs distractions?
- Are you spending time on tasks that will help you reach your goals
- Do you allocate time for self care?
- What tasks are your strengths and bring you joy?
Now it's time to implement some changes-
- Delegate tasks that are taking up too much of your time that can be outsourced, look at your current team and see what skills they can provide to assist you.
- Time block to avoid distractions
- Build a support network
- Keep on top of your finances so it doesn't result in an overwhelming job at the end of the month/ quarter. Invest in easy to use mobile apps, accounting software or hire a bookkeeper
- Ask the people around you for support- a family member to cook meals, clean or pick up the kids.
Remember there is no right or wrong way to do business. Put the hustle attitude aside and find a balance so that you can love your business again. Our team of industry experts can help you with marketing and administration support to reduce your workload.
Want to learn more about how to beat the overwhelm? I wrote an article for Beauty Biz Magazine sharing all of the tips and tricks I have learnt as a business owner. Read more here