Column by Theo Paphitis
Almost every small business owner I’ve come across throughout my time in business so far is a passionate entrepreneur chomping at the bit to know what they can do to take their business to the next level, and one thing I always encourage them to do is think big!
The only problem some business owners find is that thinking big often comes at the expense of that perfect work-life balance. Well, the important thing to remember is that the pendulum is not always going to be balanced and that’s ok!
Running a business is hard graft and not for the faint-hearted. It requires bucket-loads of passion, determination and more often than not, success demands a sacrifice in blood, sweat and tears. Anyone who tells you otherwise has either been astonishingly lucky or has never been in a position where they’ve had to make a decision. But, just because something is hard graft doesn’t mean by default that you have to burn the candle at both ends.
I would even go as far as to say that one of the key ingredients to making your business a success, in other words, turning your dream into a reality, is finding the perfect split that works for you and this will always differ, depending on where you are at with your business.
Business, and life for that matter, is all about common sense. It’s all well and good saying that you’re going to work 15-hour days and 75-hour weeks, but that’s not sustainable ad infinitum. If you don’t take care of yourself in the mix, ultimately, the only person you’re doing a disservice to is yourself – tell me, where’s the logic in that?
Business isn’t a sprint – it’s a marathon, and just like a marathon, you’ve got to make sure that you’re not absolutely gunning for it in the first 10km, thinking you’re on track for a world record, only to find yourself blue in the face, gasping for breath 5km further down the line.
Now, of course, there are always going to be moments when your schedule is anything but balanced. So, whether it’s spending time in the great outdoors, sharing some laughs with family and friends or just simply indulging in a hobby to help you let off steam or re-focus, anything you can do to counteract all that graft will do you heaps of good in the long run as all work and no play takes its toll.
Burnout isn’t an inevitability when running a business, but you have to recognise the ebb and flow of when you need to put that additional hard graft in.
If you set boundaries and allocate some time for yourself there’s no reason why you shouldn’t be bouncing out of bed in the morning because, ultimately most people aren’t just running their business for the money – they’re doing it because they love what they do, and that’s what makes them great at it!
Theo Paphitis – Small Business Sunday #SBS
If you’re a small business then check out Theo’s free-to-enter #SBS Small Business Sunday competition which runs every Sunday between 5 – 7.30pm on X and Instagram – a free boost for small businesses with ambitions to grow and a chance to join one of the UK’s small business communities. Further information is here: theopaphitissbs.com
