Small Business and Stress: How to Cope

Do you feel like this tower of rocks? Perfectly balancing on a mound of work and obligations ready at any moment to fall flat on your face? As a business owner, stress management is a huge concern especially when things continue to pile up.  So, how do you cope with stress in your small business?

On average, the more stressful a work environment is, the greater the chance of developing coronary heart disease which is the leading cause of death in the United States. As a business owner, you not only have to think of yourself, but your employees as well. Do they feel stressed? Do you convey your stress onto your staff? And, more importantly, you need to delegate responsibilities to your team.

Small business owners try to do it all; from handling one-on-one relationships with clients, to paying monthly bills, to sending out mass emails, managing payroll, and much more. The problem: you are trying to be too many people at once! You are not a bookkeeper, and an accountant, and a business owner, and a manager, and a salesperson, and a spokesperson, and a receptionist, and a social media guru, AND a blogger…you get the idea.

You cannot possibly tackle all of these responsibilities and manage to keep the towering mountain of rocks from crashing down! Plus, more responsibility means more stress. So what do you do? Figure out which members of your team are good at not just cutting hair, mowing the lawn or answering phones. There is hidden talent everywhere you look and a good small business owner knows how to find it. This may mean a boost in salary of some kind to keep things fair, but will mean all the difference in your day-to-day stressors and level of responsibility.

So what am I really trying to say? Let GO! 

Take a deep breath, and let parts of your business you are holding onto like a dog with a bone, go. This allows you to focus on what is really important, like your customers.

Still having a hard time? Find a friend or family member who knows what you’re going through, needs an extra couple bucks a week and is willing to help. Then you’re not outsourcing to people you don’t know or trust. However, remember one crucial fact: the less personal business gets, the easier it is for you to do your job effectively. In a phrase: choose your team wisely, grasshopper.