Growing a successful business in the beauty industry can involve lots of stress and hard work.
Many spa owners try to divide their time between servicing clients and managing their business, which is why they are often the first to arrive in the morning and the last to leave at night.
What inevitably results from this routine is a lack of time to wind down and restore your sense of balance and well-being.
Yes, you may be able to do these long hours for a while, maybe even a few years, but eventually it catches up with you, and all you can think about is selling your salon to restore your sanity, and get some much-needed rest.
But does it have to be like this?
I don’t believe so.
Not if you have a plan to help you balance your life.
One that ensures you don’t burn out because you are getting the breaks you need to reduce your everyday stress.
So, what strategies can you implement to ensure you don’t end up on the worn out pile?
Strategy 1: Use your time more efficiently
There are only twenty-four hours in each day.
No amount of wishing or hoping can create more, so you have to divide that time into segments that provide the best outcome for you.
Begin the process by understanding how much sleep you need to be able to work efficiently.
This can be different for each person, so if you need eight hours a day, then make sure you get them.
The body does not forgive lost sleep and accrues the debt.
Even if you think you are successfully getting away with less than you need, eventually your body will recall the debt and down you’ll go.
Loss of time with friends and family is also a sure-fire stress builder.
Avoid this by setting yourself strict starting and finishing times for work, and keep your personal time for living your life.
So how do you fit all the work stuff into what’s left? This takes us to our next strategy…
Strategy 2: Learn how to delegate effectively
Notice I use the word ‘effectively’.
Poor delegation can also cause stress, so when you decide to hand over part of your workload to someone else, be sure that you’ve given them everything they need to do the job well.
Start by choosing someone who has the right skills and then top that off with detailed information and an explanation of what outcomes you want to see.
If you don’t have someone on staff you can delegate to, it might be worth considering outsourcing some of your work.
Things you can delegate might include:
- bookwork,
- writing salon newsletters or marketing letters,
- social media marketing
- salon cleanliness checks,
- stock ordering and display,
- computerised client marketing,
- staff training and even
- some of your clients,
…to name just a few.
Strategy 3: Always have a short holiday planned in advance.
If you always have something to look forward to, it will reduce your stress enormously.
Knowing there is a light at the end of the work tunnel is so important.
Start by finding a spot in your diary that allows you to have a few days away from your business.
Follow that up by finding another break no more than three months down the track.
These short breaks are sanity savers, so try to have at least two breaks planned in advance at all times.
Strategy 4: Develop an outside interest.
Focusing one hundred percent of your time on your business might help you to grow at a rapid rate, but it might also lead to major burnout just as fast.
Find something that you love to do that gives you some me-time.
Whether it’s exercise, meditation, reading or something else you love, you must incorporate it into your life.
Not only will this bring you back into balance, but it will actually allow you to function more efficiently for the rest of your day.
So, to avoid burn-out, you need to find time away from your work every day to rest, re-balance and enjoy your life.
Make sure you grab those short breaks at least quarterly, even if you don’t go anywhere except by the pool at home.
Let go of your ego and learn to delegate jobs to others.
At first, you may think that no-one but you can do them well enough, but you will soon find out that there are many talented people around you.
Follow these few simple strategies to avoid business burn-out and remain in your business for the long-term.