Being a business owner is a totally different experience to working for someone else. After all the buck stops with you, and that means there can be a lot of stress and responsibility resting on your shoulders. Happily, there are some ways that you can make running your business much less stressful, just read on to find out what they are.

Learn to delegate

One sin that we business owners are often the most guilty of is not delegating work to those around us. Yes, it’s our business, and yes things need to be done properly. However, if you can’t trust those around you to do things right then you need to ask yourself why you are paying their wages in the first place?

Remember, you cannot do every little task in the whole business. It’s simply just not possible, and you have to accept this, or you will eventually make yourself ill.

To help you delegate more efficiently, you can use tools like this Eisenhower matrix. It works by getting you to think about what needs doing and what item can safely be handed to someone else.

Have a plan B for when things go wrong

Business problems and disasters are always stressful, especially so when you are responsible for the financial well being of your own company. That is why it’s best to always have a plan B sorted, just in case.

Plan B’s for business disasters may include keeping the channels of communication with your favourite recruitment agency open. Just in case a key employee leaves for another position. Alternatively, it could be about setting up a line of credit with your bank, so if you need any additional money to meet cash flow requirements, you can get this sorted quickly and easily. It may even mean having an alternative product in the pipeline in case the market for your best seller folds unexpectedly. It’s all about being ready and prepared for the unexpected.

Planning for the worst can help you survive stress.

Balance

Another aspect of making your experience as a business owner less stressful is to balance the business side of your life with the other side.

OK, so this isn’t always the easiest thing to do when our life savings are on the line. However, it’s important to remember that you can have the most successful business in the world, but if you haven’t got things that are valuable to you outside of the business like family, friends, and hobbies, it can mean very little.

That is why it’s vital that you look after both your mental and emotional well being as well as your outside connections. To do this, you may choose to take a break from work regularly to exercise or meditate.

You may even make a pact with yourself that you will leave the office before 8pm at least 3 night a week, so you get to spend quality time with your family, and attend your friend’s social occasions. Something that is known to have a positive effect on stress and can help you be more effective when you are in the office because you return refreshed.