Big businesses are always open. People work in shifts, there are some workers willing to give up their Christmas break to keep the business open, and there are people who’re available to call at any time of day. Big businesses have the resources and the employee-strength that would allow them to pull this off.
However, small businesses can’t afford this. Small businesses don’t have the resources to handle that kind accessibility. So, how do you deal with a world that demands 24/7 attention? Consider the following points.
Don’t Try To Force It
In an effort to keep up with the competition, there are several business owners who would add 24/7 accessibility even if they can’t afford it. Some would outsource their customer service so that customers can call in at any time and still get a response. Others add more people to their staff and keep their business open 24/7 even if they don’t need to.
Instead of forcing the issue, consider whether your business truly needs to be operating on a 24/7 bases. If it does need to be a 24/7 business, you need to start planning how to manage it.
Organize Your Time
Business owners tend to give excessive amounts of time to their business. There are many who’ll burn the midnight oil and sacrifice several weekends to get a job done. If you allow this to continue, you’ll find that your life is overtaken by your work. After all, success is meaningless if you can’t enjoy it. It’s vital to organize your time and prioritize your tasks.
It’s also important to give yourself a small break every now and then. You can start by making certain times of your day absolutely inaccessible unless there’s an emergency. This would not just make you efficient, but also stop you from overworking yourself. There are several scheduling tools available to you for this purpose. You can schedule your meetings accordingly and ensure that your time is well-spent.
Hire People Who can Act as Gatekeepers
As they say, sharing is caring. Shared responsibility takes the burden off of everyone. When a customer wants to contact your company or when a client wants to meet, it’s a good idea to have trustworthy people that would act as your representatives. For example, if you have someone who can attend a meeting in your stead, you should hand over the responsibility to them.
Delegating these responsibilities would lessen your burden and still give customers access to your company whenever they need. If you hire the right people, you would be able to trust their skills and the ability to handle customers independently, without your input.
Get an Assistant
You won’t believe just how much more time you have on your hands when someone is doing the organizing for you. While hiring an executive assistant can be expensive, getting a virtual one is often quite affordable and it’s a good solution for small business owners.
If you keep these suggestions in mind, you would be able to get give people your time without straining yourself.
