Trying to keep your head above water as a business owner is quite the task. It’s not always glamorous as there is an endless list of responsibilities and tasks that come along with this title. It didn’t take me long to learn that with responsibility comes learning to set yourself up to succeed and that starts with boundaries. I believe if every business owner worked to implement these boundaries in the EARLY stages of being an entrepreneur, it will change the whole trajectory of their mental health and the longevity of their business. If you are a business owner, or are looking to be one in the future, keep reading!

Set your goals. Yeah, you’ve probably heard that a million times and think it’s a loaded statement, but seriously, just do it. Sit down with a pen and paper and start writing. Think short term AND long term. Getting goals will help you decide what is most important to you and will ultimately help you realize where your priorities need to be. You can be firm with your goals and flexible with the ways you achieve them. Keep that in mind.
Find a routine that works for you and your people and go with that. This isn’t a ‘set it and forget it’ step. As your work, relationships, schooling, responsibilities change, this routine will also need to change and adapt. This is where you’ll figure out how you want to set your business hours and what/how many days you want to work each week or month. Growing pains are real and will happen but it’s worth it long term. Use a calendar or planner to set aside days/times to make sure you get everything done.
Keep a to-do list. Whether that be in the notes app on your phone or on a sticky note on your computer or in a planner, I can’t stress enough how important a to-do list is. I like to start and end my days with brain dumps to ensure nothing is forgotten. Write everything down that needs done even if it’s super simple. Crossing things off a list once they’re done is a game changer and this will help keep you accountable.
Decide how you’re going to price your product or service to friends and family. Talking money always makes me uncomfortable, but especially when it’s with the people closest to me. I decided a long time ago how I was going to handle this situation and it’s so nice knowing that I treat everyone the same and it’s not a thought process I have to keep revisiting. This is a good peace of mind that will, ideally, take a huge weight off your shoulders. There is no right or wrong here. Do what works for you, but figure it out early on.
Build and stick to a workflow. This goes hand in hand with your goals and your routine and deciding what is important to you. If speedy turnaround time or sending sneak peeks or ordering products are priority for you, find a seamless way to make that happen. Write your workflow down until it becomes second nature. Remember, it’s super important to give yourself grace. That’s where being strict about your goals but flexible about your methods comes in handy.

These five things could be rolled up into one big bullet point because they play off each other so well, but I believe it’s important to break them all down and really spend some time figuring it all out piece by piece. It’s even more important to know that it’s okay if your boundaries need to change and adapt over time as life changes. But, ultimately establishing some of these boundaries early in your business will set you up for success and longevity.