Did you launch your practice because you wanted to enjoy a more flexible schedule that enabled you to spend more time with love ones? Did you ultimately find yourself overwhelmed with more work than you planned and less free time to spend with family? Many believe self-employment will provide them with more flexibility, income and free time to spend with those closest to them. In the beginning however, and much longer if we’re not careful, this is not the case. And those who run their businesses in addition to working full-time jobs often find their lives become more, not less, hectic. If you want your accounting practice to improve your livelihood rather than tap it, you must achieve balance in your personal and professional lives.
Jeff Haden, CBS Money Watch blogger, shares some unconventional advice for achieving this balance in his post “A Different Approach to Work-Life Balance.” Here we share 3 of his 5 suggestions on bringing our families into our work lives:
1. Hire your family. Maybe your children don’t even mow the lawn when you ask them to, but money is an amazing motivator. When you hire your children to work for you, not only are they earning an income, but you’re teaching them valuable skills and providing them with great experience, all while spending more time with them.
2. Take them on business trips. Perhaps freelance accountants don’t travel much, but when you do, wouldn’t you rather share the experience with a spouse or child? You can turn your downtime into a mini vacation or fun excursion.
3. Ask for their advice. Haden explains, “Everyone loves to be consulted. You may not gain a lot of insight from their advice, but sometimes talking about a problem is all it takes to help you find answers on your own. Then later you get to talk about how things turned out.”
It’s important that you do whatever’s necessary to achieve family balance. Focusing all your time and attention on the business may help it to grow, but sadly your family will grow as well, only you’ll miss it. Perhaps one way to achieve that intricate balance is in bringing family into your work experience more. Then consider setting firm boundaries with clients in order to guarantee time alone with your loved ones. Make a commitment to do what’s necessary to achieve balance in your personal and business lives. Most likely it will make your business more profitable in the long run.
Financing a Small Business
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Resource
Haden, Jeff. “A Different Approach to Work-Life Balance.” 26 January 2012 CSMoneyWatch.com
