What is small business burnout, and how do you get out of it? Small business burnout builds when every task, decision and fix runs through you, so the way out is to get the repeat work out of your head and into the hands of a team you trust.
Running a small business can feel like a sprint and a marathon at the same time, while jumping over hurdles.
The nights get shorter. The days get longer. And the freedom you started this for turns into hours you'd never ask anyone else to work.
If that's you right now, you're in good company.
Burnout says nothing bad about you. It's a sign the business leans on you for everything. Here's how we look at it at Win The Hour Win The Day, and the small, practical steps that take the weight off.
And if you've felt run down for a while, please talk to your doctor, too. This post is about the business side.
What is small business burnout?
Small business burnout is the worn-out feeling that builds when you carry every task, decision and fix yourself, week after week.
It rarely shows up in a single day. It creeps in.
Small things start to slip. Ideas that used to excite you feel heavy. Even a day off doesn't quite fill you back up.
Here are 6 ways out, starting with the loop most of us get stuck in.
#1 Spot the “once I get past this” loop
Burnout keeps going when you keep waiting for a quiet stretch that never comes.
As you read this, you might be thinking…
yes, but once I get past this next thing, it'll be different.
Read this part slowly.
There will always be another thing.
Kris Ward
Client work, website updates, prospect calls, daily admin and every social platform, all at once. Here's how the loop usually runs.
So the fix can't be waiting for things to calm down. The fix is changing who carries the work.
#2 Stop using speed as the fix
Going faster when you're worn out leads to more mistakes, and mistakes double the work.
When we're exhausted, most of us try to go faster and react to whatever is loudest.
Picture a grocery run. You get everything on the list, wait in line, pay and drive home. Halfway through making dinner, you find the most important item is missing.
So you figure out what happened, try a few workarounds, then head back. Same line, same drive, same time…
all over again.
1 slip, double the work.
That happens in business every day. Your memory and your discipline are fine. The setup just asks them to carry everything.
For more ways to slow the rush, read these 5 time management tips.
#3 Count the decisions you carry
Every small decision draws on the same energy you need for your best work.
Being the visionary is your most important role. That means getting your ideas done, and that can't happen on the fly between everything else.
Lots of small decisions wear you down. Holding every task in your head is like running every app on your phone at once. Everything slows down.
- ✓What did I decide today that somebody else could have decided?
- ✓Which questions did I answer more than once this week?
- ✓What am I keeping in my head because nobody else knows the steps?
- ✓Which task do I dread before it even starts?
Those answers show you where your energy goes before the real work begins.
You'll find more ideas in these time-saving tips for your business.
#4 Get the repeat work out of your head
Steps that only live in your memory keep you on call, so put them where your team can open them.
If you're like most founders, you think your business is different. You know it inside out, so why write it down?
Because remembering everything, fixing the same mistakes and answering the same questions uses up the energy you could put into new business.
Super Toolkits
Every step and every link for a repeat task in 1 place, so the work moves without you holding it in your head.
Scrum
A short daily Scrum where your team shares what's moving and where they're stuck. Small questions get answered before they turn into big ones.
→Related read, How Scrum Works in a Small Business
#5 Find the pattern that keeps you stuck
Burnout looks different for every founder, so it pays to know your own pattern.
Some of us take on everything. Some of us can't let a task go until it's perfect. Some of us jump in to put out every fire.
Knowing yours shows you which work to hand off first.
Try this today
Take the Five Accidental Bosses Quiz and see which pattern keeps you carrying it all.
#6 Get out of small business burnout with a team you trust
Burnout eases when the work you've been carrying alone has somebody trained to lead it.
For many of the founders we work with, hiring a virtual assistant was the first step to freedom. But a new hire dropped into a business that runs on your memory just brings more questions.
That's why we set up the work with you first. Then we find, hire and onboard a full-time virtual assistant we train to lead.
Save all your brainpower for the work, not for gathering the information for the work.
Kris Ward
Founder, Win The Hour Win The Day
Your VA leads the repeat work, and your team grows from there. It starts smaller than you think. Here's how to build a successful team, even a team of 1.
If managing people already feels like a lot, read why managing your team can feel like a second job.
Christine went from crazy hours to 9 days a month. Corey took her first laptop-free vacation.
They stopped carrying it all by themselves.
Feeling stretched thin?
Take the 5 Minute Capacity Check and see what's ready to come off your plate.
TAKE THE 5 MINUTE CAPACITY CHECK
Key Takeaways
- ✓Small business burnout builds when every task, decision and fix runs through you.
- ✓There will always be another thing, so waiting for a quiet stretch keeps the loop going.
- ✓Going faster leads to mistakes, and mistakes double the work.
- ✓Small decisions add up. Notice which ones somebody else could make.
- ✓Put repeat work in a Super Toolkit, where your team can open it.
- ✓A virtual assistant trained to lead carries the work with you.
Frequently asked questions
What causes small business burnout?
It builds when you carry every task, decision and fix yourself. Long hours, constant small decisions and repeat mistakes wear you down week after week.
How do I get out of small business burnout?
Get the repeat work out of your head and into a Super Toolkit. Hand it to a team member trained to lead, and hold a short daily Scrum so questions get answered fast. If it's affecting your health, talk to your doctor, too.
Will taking a break fix burnout?
Rest matters, and a break can feel great. But if every task still runs through you, the same pile is waiting when you get back. Changing who carries the work is what lasts.
Can a virtual assistant take burnout off my plate?
A virtual assistant can take the repeat work when they have a setup to lead in. That's why we set up the work with you first, then find, hire and onboard a full-time virtual assistant we train to lead.
TAKE THE 5 MINUTE CAPACITY CHECK
Hear Christine Nicholson share how she's "working 25 hours a week less."
