Mastering the juggling act: tips for overwhelmed small business owners

As a business owner, you're the head of marketing, finance, sales and every other department you can think of. But how do you stay afloat while keeping the business going?

Every entrepreneur like you feels stressed and overwhelmed at times. But there are lots of steps you can take to stay positive during the long winter months.

Organise your day

Use time management tools like Asana, Todoist, Trello and monday.com to organise your day.

Ticking off your completed tasks will boost your mood and keep you motivated as you go. If you break down big tasks into smaller, achievable daily goals, it's easier to get excited about completing your projects.

Take a break

All business founders are busy people – but that can make you feel overwhelmed. Taking a break helps you to reset and prevent burnout.

Set an alarm to prompt you to take time out during the day. Even a short stroll to the kitchen for a cup of tea, or watching a few minutes of your favourite TV show, can make all the difference.

Getting outdoors for a quick walk can also help. As well as improving your physical and mental health, it could benefit your business too. An American study found that a person's creative output increased by an average of 60% when walking.

When running your own business, you don't have to stick to a traditional working week. For example, you could start work an hour earlier than everyone else and take Friday afternoons off. Set your work schedule (and breaks) for when you feel most productive.

Find your healthy routine

As well as taking breaks, there are other self-care techniques you can adopt – like taking up yoga, meditation, regular exercise and healthy eating. If you do this, you'll be better equipped to deal with any challenges that come your way.

A good night's sleep is important too. But this can be challenging when you're thinking about your business and what you'll do the next day.

Ways to tackle sleeplessness include:

• Making sure you properly wind down before going to bed.

• Leaving your phone in another room so you're not tempted to look at it.

• Not eating sugary snacks.

• Avoiding caffeine or alcohol late at night.

Meet other founders

If you look at social media, it seems that every other business owner is having a great time. But in reality, every founder like you is probably feeling overwhelmed.

Have you thought about meeting other small business owners to build a support network around you? You can discuss common challenges, find solutions and have honest conversations about the realities of running a business.

In London, there are lots of events you can go to. You can also find meet-ups with other business owners in your borough.

Many entrepreneurs like you work from home. While this helps to keep costs down, it can lead to feelings of isolation – you can deal with it by using workspaces where other small business owners hang out.

The London Open Workspaces map is an interactive guide to the capital's co-working spaces, start-up incubators, artists' studios and makerspaces. The cost of a co-working space might be worth it if you feel more productive or meet new business contacts in the long run.

Want to learn more? Take our free personalised Business Success Check. Answer a few simple questions and receive a personalised action plan that can help you better organise your business life.

Grow London Local: Support for London's small businesses

No matter where you're based in London, you'll find relevant support and guidance on business planning, sales and marketing and much more, as well as opportunities to connect with like-minded business owners. Visit Grow London Local now