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Create a more lifestyle friendly business in the n...

Create a more lifestyle friendly business in the new year

Many people go into business thinking they will enjoy a much better lifestyle as a result, only to find out they are snowed under with work, barely can afford to take time off, and their lives have never been busier.

In that vein, here are three things to consider when it comes to creating a more lifestyle friendly business this year; whether that’s a brand new start-up or an established company that you are wanting to streamline in terms of making the business more “lifestyle friendly” so  that you are working to live rather than living to work and achieve more of a work / life balance.

Go virtual

There are many advantages to working with a virtual service that provides what is essentially a virtual headquarters, giving your business the prestige and apparent stability of a solid company – whilst the reality is that you can work from home, or anywhere else in the world you choose.

Whether you choose to have a virtual receptionist, mailbox, or full service – the end goal is the same; to create an impression that your company is more established than it actually is, after all, you want to give the impression that you are a solid company rather than operating as a one man (or woman) band from your bedroom.

Hire freelancers

Whilst you might not want to go out and hire permanent staff, there are benefits to being supported by a team of freelance individuals that have a commitment to your business.  This way, you have the support in place for when you need it, but the flexibility you require to ensure the agility a small business requires to maintain positive cash flow.

Today, more and more major companies are hiring freelance staff to facilitate their needs, so as it is becoming more mainstream you will find you have more and more qualified candidates to choose from.  

The main benefit of this is that you don’t have the onerous administrative burden associated with employing full time staff – plus the flexibility for people to work on an “as and when” basis or project basis rather than committing to providing that person work for a particular period of time… which is a great responsibility to bear.

Set your own hours

The majority of people start a business thinking it will provide them with more time freedom, yet, what they find is that weekends are a concept they rarely feel entitled to – as they work all hours, rather than 9-5, and whilst the “idea” of setting your own hours as a result of being your own boss is very appealing, the reality, is that you end up working the hours required to suit your customers and clients – meaning you become just as beholden to them as a boss.

In this sense, you want to start to take the reins of your business and stop being so reactive in terms of working in accordance with what others want from you – and set more clear boundaries in terms of what your working hours are and are not.


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