There are so many great possibilities being a business owner, however unfortunately a lot of hard work and unnecessary stress can come with it.  These common psychological obstacles are often the problems that arise and hold you back, so here are some ways you can overcome them.

1. Connecting your personal values to your company

Your business and yourself are two separate entities. It can be easy to connect our self-worth with how our business is running, but as a sole trader or business owner, the most important thing is to try and disconnect from this mentality. When you are feeling down look at all the other positive aspects in your life, and don’t take criticism or negative feedback about your business personally. You can’t control every aspect of your business, remember this.

2. The strive for perfection

Be quick on your feet and don’t hold on to the idea of perfection. There will be mistakes, many of them. Client miscommunications, incorrect timing for appointments. These are all part of the trade, so don’t be too hard on yourself.

3. Lack of external support

The most important thing for me, as a business owner, is to seek support from people outside of my business. Why? Because they have an unobstructed view of it all. You need a fresh perspective and guidance from more than just your close friends. Seeking a mentor or having a friend who you to go for business chats and advice is an extremely effective way to keep your head in place.

4. Overworking yourself

This one is way to common in our industry, so many gas fitters I know are doing 60 hour work-weeks, because they are forever on call. There comes a time where you have to draw the line. Sure, being on call is part of your business, but make sure you schedule out time for yourself and your family aside from that.

In action: Consider being “off-call” after 9pm for two nights a week (maybe Monday and Wednesdays) so that you can get a good nights sleep.

5. Not keeping your skills up to date

If you’re letting your skills and knowledge fall behind you’re going to struggle a lot more than other business owners. While we all have busy schedules, the most important thing you can do is ensure that your knowledge of Australian Codes and Standards is correct and aim to complete professional development courses every 1 – 2 years. Those excelling in their field are completing regular training to stay ahead of their competition, are you? Check out these professional development courses and skills refresher programs here.

Tell me, what are your business tips when it comes to keeping things going smoothly? These tips are a great way to get hold of your business and ensure you are leaving some time at the end of the week for yourself.