Running your own business is plain hard work, and if you’re not careful it can sometimes lead to business owner burnout.

This is when you no longer feel that the rewards you get are no longer worth the amount of effort you need to put in.

But it’s not just the long hours and physical activity that can lead to burnout, it’s also the extra stress from added responsibilities involved in running a spa.

It’s not easy, but there are things you can do to prevent burnout before it takes over your life.

Here are two strategies that you can use to help you avoid it.

 

Strategy 1. Have two or three breaks planned in advance at all times.

Open up your diary and find a time when you can get away to totally relax and unwind.   This is guaranteed to minimise the buildup of stress.

Try to plan for at least three or four short breaks each year. These will do wonders to restore your sense of well-being, and help you to stay fresh and ready to tackle the additional workload.

As well as this, it will also give you something nice to look forward to at all times, and that in itself can make a big difference to how much stress you’re feeling.

 

Strategy 2. Identify and deal with the things that cause your stress.

Once you identify your main stressors, you can devise ways to minimise their impact on you. These are the top 3 stressors that I regularly see in spas and how I recommend you deal with them.

1. Poor Employee Performance.

This one generally tops the list of things that stresses out most business owners. But there are things that you can do to minimise this in your spa.

  • Never hire in haste. Make sure you interview potential employees twice, check performance and attitude with past employers, and do a practical skills tests before employing.
  • Always look for a great attitude first, and then abilities.
  • Always work with a clear and precise Job Description, so you know exactly what kind of skills and attributes your new employee must have to do a great job.
  • Provide as much hands on training as often as you possibly can.
  • Deal with poor performance issues immediately and always in private.
  • Spend as much time finding your employees doing things right as you do when they are doing something wrong.
  • Reward great performance with something that is meaningful to your employee. It’s not always just about the money.

2. Inadequate Profits.

If doing business isn’t your thing, get help sooner rather than later to keep your finger on your financial pulse.

Here’s what I recommend:

  • Work closely with your accountant, business coach or mentor regularly, to ensure you don’t get to the end of the year only to find you have made no money.
  • Don’t bury your head in the sand when it comes to understanding the numbers in your business. The sooner you know what’s happening the quicker you can do something about it.

3. Work Overload.

You simply can’t do everything yourself, so don’t try. Learn how to delegate work to others.

  • Think about what you do that robs you of your time, and find other people who, with a little training and guidance, could take over these jobs for you. This will free you up to have more time to work on making your business more profitable. Plus your business will continue to function while you’re having that much-needed rest.

Avoiding burnout in business is possible, but like all things, you must plan for it in advance. Now, go and plan those first few breaks!