Dealing with business overwhelm

Well business is back and it can be a little overwhelming at this time of year to get back into things or deal with the year ahead.

This week we thought we would look at the topic of overwhelm with you and seven strategies that will help you tackle it along with some sessions that might also help you.

In simple terms the feeling of overwhelm relates to having too much to do in too little time. It's a position that blinds business operators to future opportunity and the goals they wish to achieve.

So here's a little expert insight into recognising overwhelm and the strategies required to take back the business reins.

Strategy one - break it down

Overwhelm occurs when we have too many thoughts competing within our mind, and the first step to tackling it is to break down an issue or task into manageable chunks.

Divide tasks into milestones that can be accomplished within a realistic time and write them down in the order each segment will be completed, with a deadline set.

This frees your mind to move onto other matters.

Strategy two - Account for your time

Part of strategy one involves having a good knowledge of exactly how long tasks actually take, and the truth is many business owners fail to adequately account for their time, setting unrealistic expectations of how long things take to do.

To understand where your time is spent, keep a diary that tracks your time precisely for a week. It will reveal a host of intriguing things, like the hour you allocate for invoicing actually takes two by the time you PDF and send items out.

Strategy three - Ensure your price reflects the workload

Now you have a good idea of how long each task takes, does the price you're charging adequately cover your time and effort? Does it account for the extra items involved in a job like phone calls, emails, final checks and invoices. Does it cover the fact additional staff may be required to do the job you do?

If it doesn't you need to a) re-evaluate your pricing, b) streamline tasks or c) both.

Strategy four - Look to simplify tasks

Modern technology means there are a host of business tools available to simplify common tasks, so look for assistance that may suit you. Yes, learning how to use it may take time in the beginning but it could greatly ease your workload in the future.

And it's not just technological areas that could use simplification, are your internal business procedures as efficient as they could be?

Strategy five - Delegate/outsource tasks

What tasks are there within your business that other people could easily and efficiently do? Is it time to engage a bookkeeper for an hour a week? Could you outsource something like website administration? Or could existing staff take on an additional responsibility?

Strategy six - Practice this tiny word…

"No" - It's one of the most powerful words in the English language, requiring just one syllable and two tiny letters, but so many of us struggle to use it when required.

Sometimes business is about saying no - no to a client who takes up too much of your time. No to a job that will increase your workload too much, or no to jobs where too much is required for too little reward.

And guess what? By saying "no" you're saying "yes" to better service for your other clients, "yes" to less stress, and "yes" to earning what you deserve.

Strategy seven - Keep the end goal in mind

Throughout all areas in business keep the ultimate goals you wish to achieve in mind. Then, when it comes to taking on jobs or completing tasks run them through the mental filter of your goals.

For example you might ask yourself:

• Will this job help my business expand?

• Will this task get me closer to more income?

• Could my time be better spent on some other element of business?

This allows you to set the most important priorities in the order which they need to be achieved.

The final word

How you feel about your business is critical to the success you're likely to achieve. If you're floundering about feeling overwhelmed day-to-day, the likelihood is you're not looking to your future.

The key is to address the issues that have you feeling overwhelmed, seek the assistance you require and have the strategies you need that allow you to see the wood for the trees.

Linda Clive and the Enever Group Team

Image Credit Unsplash