How Do You Find The Right Work/Life Balance?

The approach of the Alberta Family Day weekend is a reminder of how difficult it can be to set aside time to be with your loved ones. All of our lives are so busy; it’s hard to find the time to catch your breath. That’s especially true if you’re an independent business person or work in a field like real estate. If you’re a member of that select group then you and the business are two halves of the same whole. You’re joined at the hip. If you take a day off nothing will get done, because there’s nobody else to do it.

And here’s another issue.  Have you noticed that nothing seems to quite fit in the old 9-5 Monday to Friday business model any more?  These days people will reach out to you whenever it’s convenient for them. That could mean evenings. It could mean weekends. Even public holidays are fair game.

No matter how inconvenient it may be, you don’t want to miss those calls or messages. It’s a competitive world. You owe it to yourself to do whatever you can to give your company an edge over the other guy. And if you’re not answering your phone, there’s every chance that your competitors are answering theirs. 

Read blog: A comparison between using and automated attendant and a live answering service

Working from home is fine, but it’s very, very hard to make sure work doesn’t start to sneak into areas of your life where it doesn’t belong. 

What it all adds up to is increasing and often unpredictable demands on your very limited time. You’re running a business, answering calls and dealing with clients while at the same time trying to get your kids to hockey practice, keep up with the yard work and make sure dinner’s on the table every evening. 

What you need is a way to make sure you can meet your obligations at work while always putting your family first. Sounds easy, doesn’t it? But of course, it isn’t. 

So here’s what you should do the next time you find yourself answering your phone on the way into church or checking your email at the arena. 

Stop.

There. Just like that.

There comes a point in your working life when you’ve done all that (or possibly more than) you can reasonably ask yourself to do.  And the chances are you got into business in the first place in order to make a better life for yourself and for the people you care about. You really won’t have done anyone any favours if you wind up working yourself into an early grave. 

Read blog: Practical Mindfulness Tips for the Workplace

 It doesn’t matter how much you love your job, you simply cannot make yourself available 24/7/365. You’ll wear yourself out before you ever get to see the benefits of your labour. 

So how can you restore a semblance of balance in your life without there being a negative impact on your business?  

You need help. The obvious solution is to hire someone to take some of the pressure off. The right staff member can cover for you when you’re not around, they can help you keep on track and allow you to protect your private time.  

But hiring staff is expensive and training them can be time consuming. And remember, we’re trying to give you less to do, not more. If an extra pair of hands sounds appealing but you’re unsure about the commitment you’d be taking on, consider working with a call answering service instead. 

If your telephone is the lifeline of your business a call answering service can make sure you stay afloat. They can answer your phone whenever you’re too busy, or when you just want a little time to yourself, whether that’s for a few minutes, a few hours or a few days. Your answering service can help keep you organized and on top of things. And you can be confident that any urgent messages will reach you immediately while the routine inquiries -- that could be anything from basic questions to booking appointments – are being handled by a courteous professional who will fit in seamlessly as part of your team. 

Read blog: It’s time to take your business 24/7

 An answering service will make you look good without giving you the cost and headaches of hiring a full time receptionist. They will always be there when you need them and they won’t cost you a penny when you don’t. And most importantly, they’ll help you restore a little balance to your working life. And that can pay an unexpected dividend. 

Numerous studies have shown that you’ll find that you’re more focussed and more efficient going about your business if you’ve had a proper break from work.So remember, striking the right work/life balance is good for you, it’s good for your family and it’s good for business too. 

To find out more about Intercon Messaging’s call answering service, or any other the other ways we can make you life easier give us a call at 866 605 2558 or request a quote.