Owning and running a business can be stressful—after all, the buck stops with you. But in an uncertain economy, the challenges of entrepreneurship can be doubly stressful.

When ignored over time, stress takes a serious toll on your physical health, your ability to concentrate and on your relationships, and can ultimately lead to burnout. If you’re to be successful in the long run, you must take care of yourself and learn to handle stress in a healthy way.

10 Tips to Help You Thrive in a Stressful World:

1. Take time daily to reflect on your life—look at the big picture. (This seems counterintuitive when you’re busy, but stress results in tunnel vision.)

2. Exercise regularly—it relieves tension. Asking a friend to exercise with you will provide accountability and make it more fun.

3. Don’t fly solo—surround yourself with positive and supportive people who’ll share their ‘been-there-done-that-wisdom.’ Talk difficult issues over with a trusted friend or board of advisors.

4. Take time out for yourself—meditate, journal, pray or go for a walk and observe nature—the trees and flowers, listen to the birds, watch the ever-changing cloud formations. Spend time with people—get to know and encourage others. Develop deeper relationships.

5. Get adequate rest and sleep at night

6. Plan time for fun—laughter is good medicine. Taking time out to relax and play shouldn’t be considered a luxury.

7. Focus on what is positive and see the glass as half full. Turn your attention to things that have gone well and praise yourself. Make a list of things you’re grateful for. Instead of watching the news, read or listen to inspiring books.

8. See stressful situations as opportunities to learn. Stop, step back and think about ways you could benefit from them. Velcro® and Post-It® notes were invented as solutions to frustrating problems.

9. Take five-minute vacations. Stop work for five minutes, relax, breathe deeply and think about something fun and pleasant. This can refresh your mind and you’ll return to the project with new clarity.

10. When you’ve completed a stressful task, reward yourself with something you enjoy.

Stress is generally a reaction to events, and we may have a choice of how we respond. List the things that cause you stress and ask yourself if eliminating, or at least minimizing, each of these stressors is even within your control. If it is, then brainstorm and write down possible solutions, making note of how you’ll handle them differently in the future. If the stressor is beyond your control—you just can’t do anything about it—remind yourself that getting upset over it is a waste of your energy and let it go. Take action that will lead to peace of mind.

The first half of 2010 is history. It’s time to assess whether you’re on track to reach the goals you set for your business this year. If you’re not, you can still make needed course corrections, hit the ground running in the fall and achieve those goals by December.

Review and evaluate your plan. Compare actual progress against your projections and revise where needed. Evaluate the effectiveness of your marketing and whether you need to modify marketing strategies. Look again at your big picture—ask yourself what you want your business to look like two years from today. And, in light of that, what will you need to have in place one year from now? To achieve that, what must you do before the end of 2010?

If you don’t have a written plan, take advantage of what is often a slower summer season and write one now. Keep it simple (unless you’ll need it to get funding). Since things will undoubtedly change as you move forward, store the business plan on your computer, where it can be easily revised. Use bullet points rather than lengthy paragraphs of text to track key concepts—this will make it easier to refer back to when tracking your results. Keep metrics in mind and estimate numbers for leads, prospects, presentations, sales, expenses, etc. Highlight important milestones you want to reach. Most importantly, review and revise your plan each month to keep you on track.

In addition to helping you grow a profitable business, even a simple plan will help you to:

• Hold yourself accountable* for the projections you make
• Make wiser decisions in line with where you want to take your company
• Avoid time-wasting distractions
• Easily assess your most effective marketing strategies
• Keep a better handle on cash flow

Enjoy your summer! But don’t let the lazy hazy days drift by without checking on your year-to-date progress and making necessary adjustments that will keep you on track to finish the year well.

*Better yet, find an ‘accountability partner’ and hold each other accountable to faithfully follow your plans.

Entrepreneurs often find they have too much to do and too little time to do it in. The tips below can help you solve this challenge, take back control of your time, and enjoy a more balanced and less stressful life.

1. Learn to say “no.” A straightforward “no” is ideal, although this may be difficult at first. Perhaps “I’m afraid my time is already committed then,” may be an easier response for starters. Saying “no” is a learned skill; it takes practice and you’ll improve with experience. Accepting the fact that you can never hope to please everyone will reduce the pressure you put on yourself. Don’t let your mouth sabotage your plan!

2. Check and respond to email only at set times, perhaps only once or twice a day. When working on a project that doesn’t require using your computer, shut it down or move away to another area, where you won’t be distracted by it.

3. Create systems for every aspect of your business.

4. If possible, always see each task through to completion. Don’t get sidetracked – resist the urge to do a little then put it down. Each time you complete a project, even a small one, congratulate yourself and enjoy the feeling of accomplishment

5. Beware of over-scheduling – packing your day so full that it will guarantee stress and frustration. Be realistic.

6. When setting your weekly schedule, mark certain day(s) or portions of days as “focus times” when you won’t set appointments or allow interruptions, but will work on your business, catching up in the office and on preparation and projects, etc.

7. Failure to make a daily plan almost guarantees loss of control of your time, your life and your business!

8. Consider the consequences – when you add a task to the list, ask yourself: What will my rewards be for doing this? What will be the possible negative consequences if I fail to complete this task?

9. Be aware of your biggest time wasters and find a solution for each one. Some common time wasters are:

• Allowing yourself to be interrupted
• Cluttered, disorganized work areas
• Failure to document and follow procedures for dealing with paperwork, etc.
• Ineffective or inadequate training and delegating

10. Understand how to use the telephone more efficiently.

• Always know and keep in mind the purpose of your call
• Have a plan to finish the call graciously when your purpose is completed

Planning Ahead is Key
With prior planning, you’ll be better prepared and enjoy a productive and stress-free summer. The tips below will help you keep a right balance between work and play so that you’ll be recharged, renewed and ready for fall.

1. Be ready for out-of-town company. Let them know when you will need to work. Gather tour books, materials on local attractions and maps. Make a list of sightseeing suggestions. Plan to spend some quality time with your guests when you won’t be distracted by thoughts of business.

2. If you have children at home for summer vacation, involve the whole family in the summer planning process. Ask for everyone’s input and suggestions. Decide together on some fun family activities and put them on the calendar. If your children are old enough, work out projects and goals for each one, and sweeten the deal with suitable rewards. Maybe hire them and let them learn about business.

3. If your business is slower in the summer, it’s a good time to take that much-needed vacation. Decide who will be in charge of the business and make decisions while you’re gone. Think ahead about how you’ll handle email while you’re away and how much you want or need to be in touch. Be sure to pay important bills before you leave town.

4. Set realistic goals for your summer. Since the pace is often slower and there are more distractions, don’t set too many ambitious goals. Use these months to develop relationships by inviting clients to play golf or tennis, or enjoy lunch.

5. Offset the slow season cash flow challenge by offering a special sale. Take advantage of the slow time to negotiate better deals with suppliers.

6. Be flexible with your work hours. You may want to wake up early and get in a few hours’ work before everyone gets up. This gives you time later to goof off, and enjoy family and friends. When my children were small, I tucked them in bed at night and headed to my office. Working early or late can give you quiet, productive work time.

7. Focus when you are working. To be more efficient, avoid multitasking, concentrate on one task at a time until it’s finished. Wherever you are and whatever you’re doing, develop a habit of being very present. Relish the moment and resist the temptation to let your thoughts wander.

8. Make the most of social events. Take advantage of those backyard barbeques, poolside get-togethers and ball games with friends—they can be relaxing and are often excellent networking opportunities. Remember too that it’s okay to decline invitations to events you really don’t enjoy.

9. Take care of yourself. Get sufficient rest, eat healthy food and exercise regularly. Build in ‘alone time’ to relax, reflect and re-energize.

10. Determine to do something fun every day. Maybe go somewhere you’ve never been or do something you’ve never done before. Don’t take life too seriously—lighten up and laugh. Remember, stress is a choice you make when you respond to a situation.

This new research holds significant implications for you and your business, since focusing on success leads to more of the same. Making a habit of recognizing and celebrating all your achievements will not only build your self-esteem and help you feel good, it’s also fun!

10 Ways to Celebrate and Reinforce Success:

Since focusing on success creates more success, plan to celebrate your accomplishments daily and enjoy more success in your business and personal life.

We may allow the expectations of others, perhaps family, friends or society, to define success for us, and fail to stop to think about what matters most to us – to review our ultimate goal in life. Yet how you define success will have a significant impact on how you use your time, run your business and live your life.

Dictionaries define success as ‘the achievement of something desired, planned or attempted.’ What does success mean to you? Is it merely to make a ton of money? Certainly your business should make money – no one starts a business to break even, but there’s more to life than money. What are you working so hard to achieve? It can be scary to define success – to commit your dream to paper, since that opens up the possibility of failure.

Failure – A Stepping Stone to Success

What if you fail? Those in business and in life who’ve enjoyed great successes have almost always failed many times in the process. You will make mistakes. How you respond to them is key. Choose to learn from them, get back on your feet and try again. Never beat yourself up or let mistakes stop you from moving forward. It may take time to reach your dream, but don’t lose heart along the way. Keep your eyes on the goal, think about it often and do something every day to move towards your success.

There is no one-size-fits-all definition for success. Everyone has his or her own unique description. Also, as you learn and gain experience your definition of success may change. Answer the following questions to determine what success means to you:

	What am I truly passionate about?
	What gives me the greatest fulfillment in life?
	What makes me genuinely happy?
	What would my dream lifestyle be like? (Give yourself permission to dream big dreams!)
	What ingredients must be present for me to consider myself successful?
	Who do I consider to be successful?
	Why do I regard them as successful?

Take a few minutes to write out what success means for you and your business, and what it will look like when you achieve it. This may take a little soul-searching but will prove well worth the effort. Then put a plan in place to achieve it.

As a business owner, the challenges and benefits of continual learning are substantial. You probably already have more than enough to do, but gaining additional knowledge gives you a tremendous advantage, and is well worth the effort and time it takes. Continuing to learn not only keeps you mentally alert, but helps you more quickly solve problems, make better decisions and connect seemingly unrelated concepts to produce new solutions. Learning itself is a rewarding experience. Plus, it makes you a more interesting person.

Aim to cultivate curiosity—foster an inquiring attitude. Learn to ask insightful questions and be on the lookout for new possibilities.

Ways to boost your learning:
The Internet offers countless topics to study and ways to learn. You can also:

	Read or listen to books
	Attend workshops or seminars
	Enroll in courses on or off line
	Brainstorm a topic or a challenge you face with others
	Find a mentor or hire a coach
	Teach others or write about what you’re learning—this deepens your own understanding
	Learn more about your industry. Who is the expert in your field? How can you learn from him or her?

We can also learn from conversations with others and ourselves, and through failures—our own and others’, and from experience (especially if we take time to reflect). Take a few minutes each evening to review your day—think about what happened and what you can learn from it.

Learning does take time, but you can use spare moments. For instance, when I’m driving, cleaning the house or cooking dinner, I listen to books on CD. Each year, I ‘read’ scores of books this way.

Decide what areas of knowledge and/or skill you want to focus on. Design your own learning program. Set clear, realistic goals about what you want to learn and the steps you’ll take to achieve them. Invest in yourself by actively pursuing knowledge. Don’t miss out—make ongoing learning a lifestyle.

If you’re like most small business owners, you might be overlooking an important resource right at your fingertips.

Entrepreneurs, especially those who are passionate about what they do, often live life on a fast track—after all, there’s a lot to do and much of it is up to you. It can be tough to take time out, step back, and reflect on, analyze and learn from recent events.

In our Make-it-Fly® Alumni Boards, members start the meeting by sharing their biggest successes, challenges and how they fared with their 30-day goals during the previous month. We notice that successes and challenges are often linked to each other.

Though you likely aren’t looking for more projects to fill up your days, much can be learned by stopping on a regular basis to study and learn from the past. I recommend setting time aside to assess your past month and ask yourself the questions below.

My Biggest Success(es):
Looking at this can be really encouraging!

	What was the key cause of this success?
	What did I do, or not do, that contributed to this success?
	What new insights did this reveal that could be useful in the future?
	How can I repeat this success, perhaps in other areas?

My Biggest Challenge(s):
Challenges could be viewed as ‘failures.’ However, seeing them as valuable learning tools to be used as stepping stones to future success is more fitting. In his recent book, The Slight Edge, author Jeff Olson quotes Thomas J. Watson, Sr. (founder of IBM) as saying “The formula for success is quite simple: double your rate of failure.” Olson then adds, “If you go through life with the philosophy that ‘failure is not an option’ then you’ll never have any good opportunities to learn.”

	What can I do, or avoid doing, in the future to prevent this from recurring?
	What can I learn from this?

Profit from Lessons Learned:

In light of the above, and with my long-range goal in mind, what realistic goal will I set for the next 30 days?

As entrepreneurs working for ourselves, it’s easy to set goals and then later rationalize why we didn’t achieve them. Increase your chances of success by asking someone else to hold you accountable to do what you’ve committed to do. Tell him or her to take this seriously and accept no excuses.

Don’t miss out on this simple yet valuable resource. Plan to take time on a regular basis to reflect and learn from your past successes and challenges.

What is your ultimate goal for your business and for your life? What does it look like? How clearly have you defined it? How badly do you want to achieve it? A crystal-clear long-range goal is like the proverbial carrot on a stick—the incentive that keeps the horse trotting forward. Without it, we can easily become distracted and wander off course, waste precious time and resources exploring unnecessary side trails or lose our way completely. Keeping a laser focus on your ultimate goal will energize and motivate you to persevere. It will make sense of those necessary but mundane tasks you don’t enjoy (or spur you to delegate them effectively), ignite resilience in the face of setbacks and fuel the passion that keeps you going.

As you pursue your goal, encourage yourself with positive self talk. Silence your “inner critic” and allow no negative internal dialogue about your ability to achieve the goal. Employ all your senses to keep you on track. Ask yourself how it will feel when you achieve your goal. Think about it. Imagine what it will look like. In your work area, prominently display pictures of your goal—what you want your life to look like in the future.

It’s obviously important to consider the potential lifetime value of a client, know your competitors’ prices, the demand for what you offer and how you want to be perceived in the marketplace. What you charge, as well as the quality you provide, can dictate how potential customers will view your company. You might choose to offer bare-bones bargains, as many new business owners do. Or you can decide to become known as a company offering exclusive, top-quality service at premium prices. In other words, you can position yourself as the Ritz Carlton or the Super 8 in your field, or something in between.

You can bundle items and sell more for less, announce occasional sales and/or offer special discounts. The possibilities are endless.

Design Packages that Sell
Clients want choices, but not too many of them. Offering too much variety complicates the buying process, forcing customers to make difficult decisions. Offering three packages can make buying easy for clients and boost your sales. People understand a simple three-tiered approach—silver, gold and platinum choices.

Package One
This might be the basic no-frills service. You may not make a huge profit here, but it allows new customers to try your service with little risk. If they like your service, they’ll be much more likely to buy more, perhaps at the next level. One important thing to remember is that selling a one-time service isn’t the goal—establishing an ongoing relationship with your customers is.

Package Two
This is the most popular package—the one you really want customers to buy. Studies show that, when faced with three choices, we’re most likely to choose the middle offering. Not everyone is looking for the cheapest price. Adding a higher-priced premium package gives buyers a baseline to compare prices, and may make your middle package seen as more reasonably priced.

Package Three
A premium offering might be the one that takes a great deal of your time, energy and attention. Offering a deluxe service can also discourage purchasers of the mid-level package from requesting extra free services that are hard to refuse.

Several years ago, I worked with a wedding photographer. She loved what she did and was very good at it, but hated dealing with mothers of brides who frequently asked her to wait around, taking far more time than originally agreed on. Her solution was to offer a four-hour wedding package at her regular price and another price for the entire day. Since she didn’t want to spend an entire day at one event, she set the “all-day price” (her premium package) at $25,000. To her surprise, two clients purchased the package that year.

Packaging your services at three levels can make it easy for potential clients to buy.