Consultant's View: How Small Business Owners Can Reduce Their Hours

As a business consultant, I am often asked by small business owners how many hours they should work a week. While there is not a magical number that I can toss out to them, there are certain standards and practices that I suggest that they follow. By following these tips, owners will be able to find strengths and weaknesses in their companies and balance home and work life.

Don't Live at Work

Many small business owners believe that things run best if they are at work. They do everything that they can to be at the office or store as much as they possibly can. This will take a toll on the body over time as a small business owner comes to realize that she or he never gets a break. If things truly fall apart when you are not at work, you need to find out why and deal with it.

Your Manager's Job

If you have a manager at your small business, he or she should be able to run the entire operation in your absence. The job of a manager is to be able to take full responsibility and direct the other workers the same way that you would. The manager has to be able to take on this type of responsibility and run with it.

A Small Business Owner's Job

The role of a small business owner is to make sure that the company is able to keep a stable income (at the very least) or grow. Your job is to plan, and to decide the direction of the company. If you take on the responsibility of trying to manage the day to day operation of the business, you have taken you eye off of the ball when it comes to growth. This is where your manager comes into play again.

If the Manager Still Needs Help

If you find that your manager still needs a little help running the day to day operations in your absence, it might be time to either hire or promote someone. I usually find that by giving some of the regular workers a little more responsibility, you can find diamonds in the rough. Many people strive on the opportunity to hold a small amount of responsibility. Remember that ever job that someone else can do takes responsibility and hours away from you. This gives you more time to relax.

Your General Staff

If I had a dollar for every time I came across a small business owner that worked extra hours simply to watch over the staff, I would be able to retire. If you have to be at work to act as a watchdog over your staff, you either need a new staff or you need anxiety medication. While I can't help you with the later, I can tell you should not have to worry about what your staff would do or say in your absence. Your staff should know that everyone needs to work the same way no matter if you are there or not.

Exceptions

I know that there are certain times in which a small business owner needs to work extra hours. Retail store owners find it important to keep themselves at work longer during certain busy times of the year like around the Holiday. I understand that sometimes catastrophes come up that need to be handled by the owner. These times should be an exception, and not a general rule.

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