by Carmel Saunders
Of course, being a successful small business owner takes dedication, long hours, and the ability to charge through all types of challenges. It can take many attempts to find the right business model. In other words, you are in it for the long haul, and you need to have the right support.
Remember, life is not a sprint, it’s a marathon, take your time to enjoy the events as they unfold. To help you become a successful small business owner and make the most of your time, consider building the following 4 habits.
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Take Care of Your Body
It may seem obvious, but many small business owners forget about taking care of their own health. It’s understandable, you spend much of your time focused on the business and what needs to be done as well as what you can do to improve it.
However, neglecting your health means you might not fully enjoy the fruits of your labours as much as you would hope, and you may not be able to run the business at your full capacity. Cognitive function, emotional resilience and physical stamina could all be impacted. In short, caring for your diet and exercise routine leads to a stronger path to success. These are essential to ensure you can run your business to the best of your capabilities now and in the future.
If you need any proof, take a look at Richard Branson, a self-made billionaire who is in his 70s and still has enviable stamina, energy, and enthusiasm for life. His success has allowed him to go into space in 2021; his healthy approach to diet and exercise makes all of this possible.
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Train Your Brain Daily
The most important part of training your brain is actually getting enough rest for it to recover and function properly. Between 6-9 hours of sleep a night to ensure your brain is capable of running at full power during the day. According to Dr Sara Lazar and her Harvard University team, daily meditation is another great tool for your brain to recover. Some research has shown that mindful meditation improves the structure of your brain.
In fact, eight weeks of mindfulness meditation was found to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which manages memory and learning capabilities, and other brain areas that govern emotion regulation and the regulation of the perception and management of feelings about yourself. They also found a decrease in brain cell volume in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety, and stress – indicating that meditation not only changes the brain, but it changes your subjective perception and feelings as well.
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Get Enough Quality Time with Friends & Family
Almost all small business owners struggle to find the time to spend with friends and family. There are several reasons why this is so beneficial. The first is that you need to be able to unwind and de-stress. Being able to step back from the business allows you to see the bigger picture and will help you move forward in the right direction. De-stressing is also good for your overall health.
When you spend time with your friends and family you will also get valuable guidance for your business. They can support you with important decisions and also provide the emotional support any small business owner needs.
As proven by MRC London Institute of Medical Sciences research, spending time with friends also releases dopamine (The “Feel Good Neurotransmitter’). This is involved in neurological and physiological functioning. It’s a contributing factor to memory, focus, and stress response, which makes it essential to create and run a successful business.
Every business has its ups and downs, like every day has a start and an end but living these unavoidable cycles without the unconditional support of your close family makes the journey both less enjoyable when circumstances are favourable and very hard through challenging times.
“We know small business owners are inherent self-starters making significant personal sacrifices on behalf of their businesses, but what’s fascinating is this dimension of family, friends and community that they see as core to their success,” Sharon Miller, Head of Small Business at Bank of America.
Ultimately, when your family is one of the core reasons that you run your business in the first place,, it is easier to work harder, be less indulgent, and drive the business with a higher purpose.
4.Write Down Your Plan and Check it Often.
Writing extends your memory, facilitates the editing of your vision, and clarifies your thinking.
Formulating and organising an informed, coherent, and complex set of ideas about something important is a fundamental exercise that will allow you to cement your thoughts, strengthen your conceptual weaknesses, and improve your capacity to articulate leadership effectively, which is crucial for all small business owners.
The person who can formulate and communicate the best argument has a significant probability of winning. If you want a new client, you must make a business case. If you are trying to convince someone of the validity of your idea, you have to debate its merits successfully, mainly if there are others with other competing ideas.
This activity is good for all areas of life yet essential for all small business owners. If you want to lead your employees, convince an investor or plan for an idea that requires a business loan – then writing down your plans will give you a substantial advantage in the process of achieving your goals.
Final Thoughts
Lumi.com.au is a leading online business loan lender, providing second to none loan options for small business owners; our focus is to help small and medium-size businesses reach their full potential. We strive to provide better alternatives, better conditions and better results to help small business owners achieve their business goals.
If you need a small business loan to take your business to the next level, don’t hesitate to reach out to us; we will be delighted to check options and see how we can help you to get there.
