How to Avoid Burnout!

Being a business owner has a lot of perks and being successful is very rewarding. However, since you have a lot of nuts and bolts you have to align, you will need to count the costs before becoming a full-time business owner.  You will have a lot to consider, especially when you own a cleaning business.

This is a list of essential steps to start your cleaning company while avoiding unnecessary stress:

1. Supplies
2. Staff
3. Customers
4. Dependable Car
5. Advisors

Each of the above components are important to building your business and will determine your success.

First, let’s start with supplies. You have to make sure you use the right chemicals on the right surfaces, or it could cause damage and other issues.
Having the correct supplies and knowledge of how to use them can make you a leader in the cleaning industry, instilling trust and confidence in your abilities
among your customers!

Next, when it comes to staffing, it’s very important to make sure every person you hire is trustworthy and dependable. Your clients expect you to hire
responsibly, and this will help your business create a stellar reputation.

Another thing you will need for your business is a car. Whenever I speak to people who are opening a new cleaning service, their main focus is on getting
initial customers. That is of course important, but if you don’t have a car or have a car with no gas, you are going to get nowhere fast.

Every new business has to set up their company for success. Having good business advisors that can guide you on how to structure your business, know
which laws are applicable to your industry, tell you what your tax liabilities will be, and help guide you to the insurances you will need are a game changer.
You will also have to make sure your employees are trained properly, which can be a challenge. Especially if you are still cleaning and training at the same
time if you’re fortunate, and you have a dedicated trainer, that’s great! But that was somewhere way down the road for me.

I initially started with being everything by myself: I was the supply person, the accountant, the payroll person, the cleaner, the car maintainer, and I was even
the supply buyer.

Taking on all of that responsibility as a new business owner left me feeling overwhelmed at times. When that happens, it’s best to take a step back. It’s
okay to take some time for yourself! It can be easy to get so wrapped up and lost in day-to-day operations that you don’t take time for the important people
in your life, and mostly that you don’t take time for yourself.

I always tell small business owners that if you don’t make time for yourself, you will not have time for things that are most important. I love owning my
business. I actually love working with the ladies who work with me, and I also enjoy the challenge of the day-to-day operations.

One year for a present, a friend of mine gave me a one-hour Massage Envy massage and my first thought was, “I don’t know if I really have time for that.”
But I made time to treat myself, and ever since then, I’ve been going at least once a month. I have a membership now and that’s my time for me to be off-
line! I turn my phones off and just disconnect. Recharging your battery is a crucial part of being a successful business owner without burn-out because
when you take time for yourself, you will have more energy to put back into your business.

The most successful business owners I have met are those who learn how to delegate early on in their business.

I hear a lot of cleaning business owners frown upon delegating because they think others can’t or won’t do things like them. Keeping that mindset stops
your company from growing and operating without you being present.  In order to avoid burnout you must allow others to learn to do some of the things
you need done so you can be free to actually enjoy having a business. Burnout stops productivity and has ultimately caused some people to close
their business or become too ill to run their businesses. I’ve learned how to avoid burnout by making it a priority to disconnect.

I now have work boundaries set to turn my business phones off at the same time each day and do not look at work emails until 7:00 A.M. each business
day — Closed is closed!

I have to shut my brain off from “work mode” (as I would call it) and just do something that I enjoy doing. It may be just sitting quietly or, maybe I’ll binge
my favorite show that I haven’t had time to watch. Thank God for streaming because now you can binge TV and catch up on things you don’t have time to
watch when they’re actually playing.

I hear so many business owners talk about how they don’t have time for a vacation, even if it’s just a mini-cation to a destination that’s an hour away, or
even a staycation. It’s important to just stay at home, enjoy your home, and do nothing with no plans for about five days. I do that at least 3 times a year now,
and it works wonders on avoiding burnout!

For the first 15 years of my 28 years in business, I only took maybe a one-week vacation once a year. I wound up being burned out and full of anxiety!

Stress is a huge contributor to illness, and I learned quickly that if I didn’t make time for myself, I may not be here to spend time with the ones I love, or
even have any time to enjoy all of the money I have made over the years. I have worked very hard to build a good future so that when I do retire, I can do
the things that I have a passion for.

I know everyone has a different approach to avoiding burnout. For most people, I think they never realize they are burned out until they are dangling
over an emotional cliff!

Take time for yourself and start DELEGATING not just at your business, but at home too. They both demand your time, so why not find balance in both
areas? Remember that you deserve to take time for yourself to rest and recoup to be the best business owner you can be. I believe in you, so you
should too!

Now go take a bite out of grime!

Sincerely,

Robin Crockett
CEO & Founder of Heaven Scent Home Cleaning & Virtual Bid App