Member Spotlight
Tonto Digital helps small businesses use the internet, in all its glory, to attract new customers and grow their business. Read more
| Marketplace |
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What say you?
Do you take on friends/family as customers?
14% - Sure! The more the merrier.
57% - Sometimes, but tread with caution
28% - No, best to avoid wherever possible
Live smart | Work life balance
Although working in your own business often comes with more
flexibility and freedom than working under a boss, managing work life balance
as a soloist has a whole new set of challenges.
In this section you will discover tips for finding the right balance between your personal life and your work
including practical advice on setting
priorities, dealing with information
overload and avoiding the ‘always
available’ trap. It is also hugely important as part of managing work life balance for soloists to schedule
time out each year, so find out whether you are taking enough annual leave.
Your business needs breathing space
18 Apr 12Kate JamesTaking a little breathing space from your business will give you clarity and focus, and inject a renewed surge of creativity into everything you do. Read more
Comments: 5My work-life blend experiment
14 Feb 12Jayne TancredToday is the first day of my holidays, and instead of wandering the streets of a city I’ve never been to before, I’m in a café with my laptop writing this newsletter. Read more
Comments: 22Switching off from work
13 Feb 12Robert GerrishA side effect of the 'constantly connected' way of working, is added pressure on the boundary between work and play. In this short video interview, Sacha Crouch has some very practical tips that will help. Read more
Comments: 0The importance of playing
17 Nov 11Madeleine ShawDo you think being busy equals being important? Do you think time spent “productively” is the only time worth spending? If so, you’re not alone. If you feel like something’s missing, you’re also not alone. Here we discuss the importance of playing. Read more
Comments: 6Work life balance: It’s a dog’s day
23 Jul 11Lou MooneyI dedicate this article to my dog Rupert, for clumsily pointing out that I occasionally need to shift my work life balance to focus on the important things in my life. Read more
Comments: 9Setting boundaries: Work-life balance or work-life blend?
23 Mar 11Sara HowardIt’s the soloist’s dream to work from your iPad on the beach, have coffee with friends on your way to meetings, and be available to spend time with the kids. Read more
Comments: 23Boundaries and why we need them
19 Mar 11Robert GerrishIn this short video, Robert explores the importance of establishing boundaries. He uses the rather unfortunate example of a measure he took to banish his young son from his office. Mean man. Read more
Comments: 1Handling holidays when running your own business
20 Oct 10Sara HowardOnce upon a time, being on holidays meant I could really relax. I’d sleep in, read books, and the biggest decision of the day was where to go for happy hour. This is not the case since I started running my own business. Read more
Comments: 7Flexible working hours: Do work days ever end?
21 Jun 10Megan HillsI was stupid. I made a promise to my partner that I would finish work by five o’clock. Every day. Gone were my flexible working hours. Read more
Comments: 6Work life harmony: I want to get off!
25 May 10Sam LeaderI used to be so good at work life harmony. I committed myself to tasks with a relaxed yet dedicated fashion and was productive and happy. Then that all changed. Read more
Comments: 32Is work life integration a pipe dream?
04 Jan 10Peter CrockerI’ve recently become fascinated by the idea of ‘work life integration’. Ok, so I haven’t even mastered ‘work life balance’ yet, but that concept is so last decade! Read more
Comments: 51Taking time out: Give yourself a break
30 Nov 09Sam LeaderI strongly believe every soloist should have a plan for taking time out from their business. Now is the ideal time to work out how you’ll get time out this year. Here are some tips that may help. Read more
Comments: 16Business boundaries: Are you too available?
23 Jun 09Linda AndersonIs there any such thing as being “too available” to your customers? Surely if we want our soloist businesses to thrive we need to be available for our clients whenever they need/want us? Or do we need to set business boundaries? Read more
Comments: 15Me time for soloists
14 Apr 09Johanna Baker-DowdellAs a soloist and mother to two children, finding me time is a task as difficult as it is necessary. Read more
Comments: 17How to sustain the holiday feeling
26 Jan 09Peter CrockerEven as January ends, my street is still dotted with discarded Christmas trees, drooping fairy lights and half-deflated Santas. I know how he feels. With the tan faded and toys broken, how can you sustain that holiday feeling? Read more
Comments: 8How to take extended leave from your business
17 Aug 08Linda AndersonA recent challenge as a soloist has been preparing to go on maternity leave. This involves taking extended leave from a majority of my business for a minimum of four months which brings many challenges. Read more
Comments: 9Everybody runs their own solo business
21 Apr 08Peter CrockerWhether you’re leading a team from the corner office, crafting clothes from the kitchen table, working in a shop or bringing up children, I hereby declare you a solo business owner. You are the CEO of You Inc. Read more
Comments: 12Are you taking enough annual leave?
18 Dec 07Linda AndersonOften soloists don’t plan their annual leave well enough and, unfortunately for many, they haven’t taken a real holiday for years. Yet it is hugely important for soloists to take meaningful chunks of time out from their business. Read more
Comments: 4Yin, yang and work life balance
17 Jun 07Peter MorganThe typical soloist is a master of Yang, i.e hard work, striving and making things happen. But what about Yin, and the magic, ease, flow and balance it offers? Read more
Comments: 7How to make the most of May: Time to indulge yourself
01 May 07Karen MorathMay is a great time to indulge ourselves. I don’t mean we should merely plan a sleep in, a night out or a massage. Nor do I mean we should go silly and upgrade our Windows software or buy a better desk chair. Read more
Comments: 1Balancing work and family: How to make the most of April
01 Apr 07Karen MorathApril is a great month. It’s school holidays for some, Easter holidays for others. Joy of joys. Many of us haven’t had a break since January! Now is the perfect time to focus on balancing work and family. Read more
Comments: 3Setting priorities: Your money or your life
12 Mar 07Peter CrockerBeing a soloist means there's always work that can be done to grow your business, so setting priorities and achieving the right work life balance can be difficult. Read more
Comments: 40Work life balance: Tips for enjoying summer
06 Mar 07Justin ZachanI certainly love the summer months and I am always trying to find ways to get out and about to enjoy myself on the weekends. But what about during the week? It is important to have a good work life balance. Read more
Comments: 3Workaholic alert! In praise of powering off
20 Apr 06Paul J. MorrisAll solopreneurs, most especially those starting out, seem to have an over eager sense of responsibility. Read on to see if you are in danger of becoming a workaholic. Read more
Comments: 3Setting priorities: Looking after our ecosystems
09 Feb 06Sam LeaderIt's our duty as soloists to turn our back on today's work-obsessed culture. When setting priorities, we must ensure our work takes its rightful place alongside other priorities. When we suffer due to lack of balance, so of course does our business. Read more
Comments: 13Information overload! Achieving a work life balance
24 Jan 06Thomas MurrellUs Australians are losing our laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue to work longer hours, exercise less and neglect our leisure and family time. Information overload makes achieving a work life balance increasingly difficult. Read more
Comments: 5Business and personal life balance
15 Sep 05Barb ClewsWorking in your own business and having a personal life is all about balance and education. Not just educating yourself, but educating your friends and family that what you do is just as important as any other job. Read more
Comments: 0Managing work life balance: Avoid the ‘always available’ trap
14 Sep 05Robert GerrishModern gizmos and gadgets means soloists can be permanently available to their clients. A good thing? Maybe not. Managing work life balance is an important lesson to learn. Read more
Comments: 3
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Small Business is Australia's fastest growing sector – this business community site was created for those running a small business of one to five people. Here the solo and micro business owner will find small business forums, a small business directory, free resources, help, tips and advice on: starting a small business; working smarter when working from home; effective small business marketing; small business networking; the solo psyche; staying balanced as a small business owner; small business technology advice and small business finance tips.
