Owning a business requires a balance of time, management, and business know-how. For new business owners, it can seem like running the business is work enough, but there is still much to be done to make sure that business becomes successful. Follow these important tips if you are a new business owner, and you’ll be able to not only make sure your business rises to success but that your own personal life won’t be overloaded with the demands of starting a business.
1. Take Breaks
While running the world someday might be your number one priority, it is still important to find a balance between work life and home life. Taking time in the morning or in the evening after work to relax or work on a hobby is important. Your brain and your body need time to recharge in order for you to be working at full capacity at work the next day.
Many successful business owners say spending time in nature or tending a small garden is a great way to get your mind off of work for a little while each day and let it wander. In addition, leisurely activities or mindless, simple tasks or games allow your mind to wander and relax, which opens you up to new thoughts and ideas. Some of the best ideas people have are in the shower.
Also remember that being cramped up in the office all day not only takes a toll on your mind, but your body as well. Make sure to get a solid sleep and get up and out a few times during the workday to ensure that you can stretch your muscles and recharge a little before getting back to work.
2. Read, Read, Read
Education doesn’t stop after business school. The most successful business owners and entrepreneurs are constantly seeking new opportunities to better themselves by reading all that they can about business and leadership. Consult experts and knowledgeable sources in your field to help the company grow at every opportunity. There are hundreds of books on business, leadership, and management in local bookstores and libraries, and millions of helpful and informative reading materials online.
Reading isn’t the only way to further your education after school though. Classes, lectures, and seminars are frequently offered at local universities or conferences. Making the investment to attend conferences that may yield knowledge and networking opportunities is a great idea, especially for new business owners looking to grow their network and client base.
3. People Like Friendly People
Despite the no-nonsense CEO archetype often seen in films demanding coffee and scaring employees into working harder, real people, including employees, tend to live by rules of common sense. People want to work well for people who are likable and friendly. Especially when first starting out as a business owner, remember to treat every employee kindly and to reserve the intimidating persona for instances when you need to demand respect. People want to work with individuals they trust, who are level headed and respectable, and who work hard and are ambitious.
Making sure your employees see you in a way they want to respect is incredibly important in getting the best work out of them. While intimidation can sometimes generate work, the work is fear-driven, rather than ambition-driven. If you would rather have ambitious, empowered employees who work hard to earn new opportunities, rather than fear-driven employees who scramble to not get fired, being charismatic and friendly is the way to go.
4. Routine
Some of the world’s most successful people and brilliant creators and innovators say that their day functions off of routine. Having a routine in the morning before work or in the evening before bed is a great way to build and sustain healthy habits that make for a better lifestyle and a better you.
Maybe start the day off with a quick workout, some light reading, and some time spent brightening your smile or sharpening up your look for work. Meditating on what you are grateful for or writing a list of goals for the future never hurts. A routine is a great way to prioritize a few things you want to cement in your lifestyle like organization, self-care, personal health, exercise, or education.
5. Network
Get to know other businesses in the area and reach out to organizations, companies, and other aspects of the community or area in order to cement your product or service as a part of the architecture of the area. Leaving people with a good impression is incredibly important, as people who work with you once have the capacity to bring in new clientele, as well as to return and work with you again.
Marketing and networking go hand in hand when it comes to building and growing a client base. Networking not only boosts client interest, but it also tends to assist in finding financial opportunities that may help your new company to get started with a low overhead, allow room to grow, and make a quick return on investment.
