Family/Work Balance: No One Left Behind

Sometimes when you own a business, it becomes hard to get away from the day-to-day duties that demand your attention. Unfortunately, these activities are important for you to achieve the success for which you are looking. Sadly though, it seems like the ones you love sacrifice the most while you travel down the road to financial and time freedom.

Here are three tips to help you minimize these difficult sacrifices:

1. Give your "family time" your undivided attention. A while back my husband and I went to a business meeting. My husband had a discussion with another member of the same business. He asked the question, "How do you balance work and family time?" The man responded, "Yes, it is difficult at times, but when I'm with my family, I make a conscious effort to give them my undivided attention." So, even though you may have many business things that demand your thoughts and time, don't let those things consume you so much you neglect the real reason you started the trip.

2. Make it a family business. Many times, as a stay-at-home mom, I have many things that grab for my attention, especially our 1 year old son and 3 year old daughter. When I work in the kitchen my children seem to always demand my attention most. When they do, I seize a teaching moment and try to include them in whatever I'm doing. You can do the same in your business. Take some time today to make a list of things your family could help you with in the business.

3. Make vacations a priority. Whether you want to admit it or not, you and your family need a vacation from the hectic waves of life several times a year. No money to vacation? Can't take a vacation because your business demands your time right now? Try a "staycation." A staycation is literally a vacation you take at home. The term staycation gained its popularity in the summer of 2008, during a period of dramatic gas price increases and higher travel costs. With a global economic crisis and record unemployment claims, it looks like staycations are going to be just as popular in 2010. Get your first 5 sample staycation ideas here.

Elizabeth and her husband, Eric Shoop, are the owners of First Kids Furniture. Not only do they sell unique furniture for kids, they also provide some great resources for parents! They're also the visionaries for Build on the Rock Ministries.

The Benefits of Outsourcing

Are you the chief cook and bottle washer in your business? Most small businesses today are built up from the expertise and hard work of one individual who works IN and ON the business. Maybe you have a few employees to help. Even so, you are most likely left with the task of handling a lot of different responsibilities.

No one is expert in every area of business management. That's why "outsourcing" becomes a good solution to the owner of any small business. Outsourcing is when you contract with outside firms to handle work normally performed by full-time employees. For example, you may outsource your company's accounting, payroll, human resources, IT, or marketing functions.

There are many benefits to outsourcing. Here are just a few:

Cost-Cutting and Capital Investment. When you cut costs, you're able to use the savings for capital investments in other areas of your business.

Increased Efficiency. Think of your typical work day and imagine how much of your time is spent chatting with others and doing mundane tasks. Multiply that time by the number of employees you have and that's how much your losing in efficiency. When an outsourced company is working on your account, they are working efficiently and only billing for actual time worked.

Reduced labor costs. Hiring and training staff can be very expensive, especially when you consider the amount you pay out in taxes and benefits. Temporary employees don't have a vested interest in your company so they may not always live up to your expectations. Outsourcing lets you focus your human resources where you need them most.

Talents are focused. Every business has limited resources and talents. Often times employees are given other tasks to handle because of the lack of human resources. Outsourcing allows everyone to focus on what they do best, and in the long run, this translates into better customer service.

Every day companies are using outsourced services to provide the manpower and expertise needed to successfully run their business. If you haven't considered it for your business, now may be the right time to investigate the benefits of outsourcing.

Anne Lazo is the owner of Eagle Soars Consulting. We are a full-service marketing and training company that has been serving small business owners for almost a decade.