Running a business can be stressful. You put time, energy and money into creating and growing a successful company. You do it because you love what you do and being your own boss, but nonetheless, stress is inevitable.
Whether you’re new to being an entrepreneur in the green industry or you’ve owned an established company for some time, you’ll need to find ways to manage the stress that accompanies owning a business. Follow these 5 tips for stress management in the workplace.
Five Stress Management Tips for Business Owners
Tip 1: Delegate
When you’re a small business owner, it’s tempting to want to be involved in every part of your business. You might be hesitant to let employees work without supervision, or maybe you feel that you have to personally call back any customers with complaints or questions. While you may be able to do it all when you’re first starting out, this mentality will not be sustainable as your business grows. Wearing too many hats can and will, inevitably, cause stress.
As the old adage goes—“There’s no ‘I’ in ‘Team’”. Create a team of employees that you can trust working with, and delegate tasks to those individuals. Prior to passing off responsibilities, clearly outline processes and strategies so that your employees know how to properly complete their tasks and so that you can rest assured the jobs are properly completed.
Tip 2: Be honest with your customers
It’s tempting to want to take on every job, and no one likes saying no to a customer. However, if you and your team are fully booked, you need to be honest with your customers.
For example, if your services are booked solid for one month and a customer insists you must service their lawn within the next few days or weeks, don’t let the pressure or guilt get to you. Be polite and honest with your customer. Let them know that your services are booked throughout the rest of the month and talk with them about your next availability. Ensure them that their business is important to you while being honest with what is feasible.
If you feel it will help ease the blow and work toward maintaining customer satisfaction, you can consider offering the customer an incentive for their patience.
Remember—if you squeeze in services when there isn’t proper time, it will only add on more stress for you, your employees and, in turn, your customers.
Tip 3: Leverage technology
When you’re a business owner, it’s no surprise that you have a lot on your to-do list. Stress can come from juggling too many tasks at once, like setting daily schedules, calculating budgets, supervising staff, approving payroll and much, much more.
Relieve some of that stress by leveraging technology that will automate your systems and processes. Consider various HR, scheduling and accounting software to help with the administrative work that can, often, eat away at your time.
Tip 4: Cultivate an open culture
One of the best ways to reduce stress in the workplace is to create and cultivate an open and transparent culture. Your employees need to feel comfortable coming to you to relay any concerns they might have in the workplace, like being overworked, feeling stressed by their job responsibilities or an issue arises between co-workers. They need to trust that they can come to their manager.
Failure to create a transparent culture can lead to unhealthy habits in employees. This could cause them to perform poorly at work, thus impacting customer satisfaction. And it could ultimately lead to them leaving for another job. To avoid costly attrition, ensure you’re leading with empathy and awareness while encouraging a culture backed by transparency.
Tip 5: Find your stress reliever
No matter the steps you take to decrease stress in the workplace, ultimately, no one way works for everyone. This is why it’s crucial to discover what works for you. Find ways that help you de-stress while at work and after hours.
During work, be sure to take periodic breaks, eat a healthy lunch and perhaps listen to music or a podcast. If your role is mainly performed at a desk, make time to step outside for fresh air and sunlight.
After working hours, disconnect from your job and work responsibilities. Avoid thinking about your job outside of your typical work schedule. Although it might be difficult to do, especially if your business is in the midst of a growth stage, but time away from work is imperative for your mental health.
Stress is an inevitable part of life and entrepreneurship, which is why it’s necessary to incorporate stress relief practices into your daily schedule. If you’re a green industry business owner looking for help managing or diversifying your business, learn about our franchise opportunity. By joining forces with us in conjunction with your current business, you’ll automatically gain assistance in attracting new customers and increasing your income.
