Work-Life Balance For Entrepreneurs
Posted On: 28/02/23 - 0

Work life balance

As entrepreneurs, one of the most difficult things for us to do over the years since starting our business was maintaining a healthy work-life balance. Like most entrepreneurs, we had hobbies outside our corporate lives prior to the start-up of our business. For two “A” personalities, it was difficult to draw the line between work time and personal time. It was that much more challenging for Paul and I as a married couple who went into business together.

In the early years of business entrepreneurship for us, it was all about finding quality clients and quality staff. We grew so quickly our first year that we had to move our home based business to a commercial location. Business start ups can quickly lead to burnout and even mental health issues if not wisely managed. Work-life balance is extremely important for entrepreneurs. It can be a real balancing act to stay driven, while also making time for yourself, your partnership and your family.

We tended to get stuck in a place of thinking about work 24/7, and slowly let some of our passions and hobbies go. We were so immersed in work around the clock, we ended up neglecting work-life balance. For some business owners, they don’t notice this common problem until it’s too late and they are already feeling tired, unmotivated and just plain burnt out.

Here are 3 Practical Tips That We Implemented For A Better Work-Life Balance

1) Create Work-Life Boundaries

Very simple, start by creating work boundaries. Make a rule that you won’t check your e-mails before 7 a.m. or after 5 p.m. In our case, we learned not to talk shop after 6:00 p.m.

2) Keep Up With Your Hobbies & Passions

If you are having difficulties getting away from work, schedule personal time in your work calendar. If you make personal plans with friends, block the time as if it is a business meeting.

Paul and I had given up skiing shortly after we started our business 16 years ago. We recently tied in our first ski trip with an out of town conference. What a great time we had. Makes me sad that we missed all those years of doing what we love to do on our personal time. Last summer, I started back up with golf since before we started our business. Again, regretting that I had let it go for so many years.

3) Get Comfortable Saying No

Many entrepreneurs have a hard time saying no. Whether it’s taking on additional work, travelling to a conference or accepting last minute engagements from a new client. Accepting new opportunities is amazing for any business, but we have learned to only take clients on that fit our business model. When a prospect asks you to do a different type of work outside of your business model and it immediately causes some stress, that would be a good sign to say no to the opportunity.

We have learned that starting and growing a business is an incredible and rewarding experience. However, it comes with a fair share of challenges and stresses. It’s so important to learn to manage those challenges by creating a healthy work-life balance.

Lately, Paul and I have done more and more to create a very healthy work-life balance. One that has by accident created anxiety for some of our clients. We have received e-mails and phone inquiries asking us if they need to find a new tax service. They are following us online and seeing that we have actually created a solid healthy life outside of our business. They have wondered if we had retired. We love our clients, we love our business, and we now really love our work-life balance.

For a reputable accounting firm and tax service, please call Cheryl at 780-482-7297.

12203-107 Avenue.
Edmonton, Alberta.
T5M 1Y9

Call us:
780.482.7297