Life and lessons during lock-down

While we miss our loved ones, we’re actually seeing more of our immediate family than ever before.

Have you taken the time to reflect?

  • Perhaps you’ve been thinking about the times you missed meals at home because you were working for small margins.
  • Or all those weekends you worked; missing out on time with the family, to get your business to where it needed to be a success.
  • And how during lock-down, you’re now reaping the benefits of feeling healthier compared with beforehand when you found no time to exercise.

Before the pandemic broke out, was your business on its feet? If you could ask your ‘startup self’ if they’d be happy with where you are now, would you say yes? If so, why have you, up until now, been continuing to work in that way?

It’s time to pivot your business and your life. Why? To make sure you can continue to enjoy everything you appreciate right now and previously took for granted.

Family

I’m sure you’ll have watched your children bond so much over the past few weeks. Even though you were close to begin with, I bet you’ve grown even closer and it must be fantastic to have seen first-hand their development.

My children are grown men but I know I wouldn’t have wanted to miss those special years with them.

That, to me, is priceless. So, now is the time to pivot your attitude and outlook.

To think you may have been missing out on these moments because of ‘work commitments’. In reality, it’s taken this pandemic to show that it was actually because of the decisions you made as a business owner.

Not anymore.

Work

I work long hours. I bet you do too.

Why do we do it? To provide for our family and our team. If we hated it, we wouldn’t do it. My job is a hobby to me, and I’ve got no hesitations in telling anyone that I absolutely love it.

Most of my clients have the same mindset, but because everyone’s working the hardest they can for their own business this presents a unique challenge: everyone is working ‘too ethically’.

What this looked like for me was I let certain clients ask and expect a service they could not afford or were not willing to pay for. I tried too hard to please.

You want to do your best and keep everyone happy, so it’s an easy trap to fall into.

Don’t get me wrong, I will continue to go above and beyond for my clients. However, I plan to pivot my business to start working how I want to work, with the people I want to work with.

Does that mean letting some clients go? Yes. Scary? A little. But was it and will it be for the best for my own business? Absolutely.

The ultimate goal is to run your business, and not let your business run you. To gain control of the margins you want to make. It’s a work in progress, so I’m using this time to give me a chance to explore this further to find a fit I’m happy with.

Going Forward

There’s a real risk that once our government lifts lockdown, you’ll fall back into the bad habits we’ve discussed.

Perhaps you’ll have less free time than ever before. The demands of your business may outweigh the demands of your family and health as you try to recoup the time lost.

So how are you planning on stopping this? If you’re enjoying this time with your family and are feeling better for it, what are you going to do to maintain this?

If you’re unsure, it might be time to contact me. I will help you rebuild your business without sacrificing the work/life balance you’re now enjoying.

There’s one thing you can never get back – time. So how do you save more of it to spend on the things you love?

Technology is just one of the ways to achieve this, but there are many other ways depending on what’s right for you. Contact me today to put measures in place now that you’ll enjoy in the future and never take for granted what you had previously.

At SJC+0 I am to build up a transparent relationship with my clients that will help them build and plan  today to ensure that they are still here tomorrow.

There will be no unanticipated bills received nor will there be once a year meetings. I stay in touch with all of my clients throughout the year, delivering a tailored service, to ensure that tax is minimized and growth maximized.

Give me a call now on 07957 581757 or drop me a line at susan.crichton@sjcplus0.co.uk.

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