If you are a small or home based entrepreneur or a solo business owner, there is little room in your business for taking a sick day when a crisis or stressful life event happens. In today's world our lives are complex, fast paced, and challenging. How do you keep your business going and growing during the times when life happens and you can't work?
There are several answers to this question, and one very important caveat - if you have not yet built into your business plan this kind of possibility, then take some time and do it now!
When you are in the planning stages of business, you must consider how you are going to manage your business when you are not available. Will you hire a virtual assistant, get help from your family, or make some other arrangement?
When you are planning your business, consider early on how you are going to automate your business to be efficiently managed both from your home and work computer, and also remotely from a laptop or other internet access.
Arrange all your files in a clear and logical manner, so if you are getting help from someone, they will not be confused!
Once your business is up and running, there are several ways to manage your business in times of crisis or stress.
1. Focus on essential, income generating tasks only. An easy way to figure this out is to discover what is your Single Daily Action (SDA) that makes money in your business, and to do this. Depending on the type of business, your SDA will vary.
For example, if you build content websites, your SDA may be to add three new content pages to your site each day. If you are a writer, your SDA may be to write five pages per day. If you own a direct sales or network marketing business, your SDA may include talking to five new people about your business each day. If you own a local, service based business, your SDA may include developing new contact each day who can spread the word about your business.
2. Delegate and outsource the tasks you cannot accomplish right now. You may need to hire extra help!
3. Build into your business time for nurturance, rest and heart centered networking. Find other business people you can share with, so you are not going through this time alone.
4. Once the crisis has passed, give yourself some vacation time to recharge your batteries! This time spent will be worth every penny in helping you return to work with renewed passion and enthusiasm, no matter what challenges life may bring!
