The owner of a small business — whether that business is an online business or a brick-and-mortar business — must maintain his or her own balance in order for the business to succeed and then sustain that success.
I am big fan of schedules. I know that others don’t like schedules of any kind, but it has been my experience that in order to maintain any kind of balance in life (personal as well as business) scheduling is essential.
You just can’t get up each morning with a “whatever” attitude, and neither can you become so totally immersed in your business that you have no time or energy left for your personal life. Schedules inspire and even ensure balance.
Before you ever start a small business, you should determine the things that are of great importance to you other than making your business a success — and including making your business a success. Life consists of many things, and all of them require time.
Business requires time, and so does a personal relationship. If you want to have friends, they require time as well.
When you begin any new venture like opening a small business, it is easy to be there before the doors open and long after the doors close, seven days a week and 365 days a year. In the process of making a success of your business, you can create a wasteland of personal relationships.
So schedule! Determine what time you will get up, how many hours you will spend doing what each day, and what time you will go to bed at night. Allow time for all of the essential parts of your life so that you can set and maintain your balance.
