Use these guidelines to make sure your startup team avoids burnout so they can stay sharp, happy, and productive.
Launching a new business is a thrilling experience. You might even relate it to starting a new relationship. Every new thing you discover is filled with excitement and possibility. You get wrapped up in a “honeymoon phase” where you only focus on the positive and the potential and don’t let little speed bumps slow you down. The trouble is, at some point you have to come back down to earth and deal with the “nitty gritty.” This is where businesses and relationships are really alike as well: in order to work, they both take work.
But that isn’t why you started your own business in the first place, is it? If it all just boils down to being work, you might as well be at a job. No, you became a business owner because you wanted to do something that inspired you. The question is, how do you keep yourself and your team inspired when being profitable requires maintaining effective routines and processes?
To help answer this, we have put together a list of a few ways you can help your startup team feel fresh and engaged even after you’ve ventured beyond the honeymoon phase.
Team Building Events
Not everything has to be work with your colleagues. When things become monotonous and stale, it may be time to find your business a group activity that can appeal to most, if not all. Where your business is located can have a pretty large impact on what is available to do, but most mid-large size cities have companies that offer team building events. Here are just a few ideas that could help get you started:
- Fun parks: Typically include go karts, arcades, batting cages, mini golf, etc.
- Bowling: A classic, affordable activity that engages the whole team.
- Paddle boarding: Outdoor, warm weather activity. Prices usually range from $15-$30/hr/person.
- Escape Room Games: An immersive adventure that usually costs about $20/person. These experience-type businesses are popping up all over the country.
Quick Morning Huddle To Start Your Day
If you’ve ever worked a corporate job, the word “meeting” probably makes you cringe. They can be distracting, socially uncomfortable and in worst cases, they can be spectacularly public ways to reveal your mistakes to a group. However, meetings are also incredibly valuable and help the team come together and get on the same page when it comes to projects and goals. One alternative to meetings might be to try using a morning huddle. This can be especially useful for small groups or in small businesses. Huddles are like meetings, but they do not typically include presentations. They’re designed to be straight to the point and enable everyone to get a quick refresh on where things are at with the current set of tasks at hand. Sprinkling these in throughout the work schedule when the need arises can be a good refresher for the team without inundating the company and spending valuable time on long, drawn out meetings.
Don’t Overload Your Team
It can be easy to try to get the most you can out of each and every team member when you are running a tight schedule on a tight budget. Many small businesses do this, as do many larger ones. You may even be one of those people who talks about how many different hats you have to wear to keep the business running. The trouble with this is, it is the quickest way to burn out yourself and your team, which is one of the last things you want to do. The good news? It is easier today than ever before to get high quality professional help at a low cost. Freelancers are just a mouse click away. Feel like your business could use a hand fielding inbound calls and customer support cases? There are cost effective, pay-for-what-you-use live phone answering services that will make your business sound like a million bucks, for much less than a million bucks.
Keeping the fire hot and the inspiration burning isn’t an easy thing to do. Team members need engagement and to be given quick guidance and support to do their jobs efficiently and effectively. No one said running a business was going to be easy, but if you are willing to do the work, the rewards will outweigh the effort.
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5 Things Every Startup Should Spend Money On
5 Things Successful Entrepreneurs DON’T Do
5 of the Most Effective Ways to Successfully Market Your Small Business
