Many small business owners stretch themselves by attempting to do everything. From being the payroll ‘expert’ to running your company social media accounts, many business owners give themselves a ridiculous workload that simply isn’t good for them nor the business.
Consider outsourcing some roles and allow you and your business to benefit (back to our functional organisation chart in in 'Detach yourself from your business') from the time that this now gives you. Unquestionably, it will help reduce your stress levels and the business will benefit from the structure and knowledge that it is now afforded. It doesn’t always mean a hit to the bottom line either if you consider how much more time and cost is allocated to a role you’re not totally comfortable with.
In summary:
Outsource tasks that are not directly related to your core business functions.
This can free up your time to focus on strategic aspects of the business.
Now it's time to set boundaries
In order to prevent work creeping slowly back into your downtime and upsetting the work/life balance that you’ve committed to, it’s now time that you let others know. Your team will not resent you moving away from the business as long as they know when you are available. If you communicate clearly when they can get hold of you, both parties will know where they stand. Equally, if something urgent were to arise, everyone needs to know what happens in that situation - do you delegate decision-making to someone else (see below) or do you respond?
Obviously in an ideal world, a business runs smoothly 24/7 but let’s be real here. As a business owner, you still need to be flexible and be prepared to involve yourself out of hours but hopefully those occasions are few and far between. This article in Forbes, “How to delegate more effectively in your business” makes a key point when deciding who to delegate responsibility to - give the work to people who deliver, not the people who are the least busy!
In summary:
Clearly communicate your working hours and availability to your team.
Stay connected with your team with tools that allow you to be present without being physically present.
Establish boundaries to prevent work from encroaching on family time.