Managing work life balance

Although working in your own business often comes with more flexibility and freedom than working under a boss, managing work life balance as a soloist has a whole new set of challenges.

In this section you will discover tips for finding the right balance between your personal life and your work including practical advice on setting priorities, dealing with information overload and avoiding the ‘always available’ trap. It is also hugely important as part of managing work life balance for soloists to schedule time out each year, so find out whether you are taking enough annual leave.

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Work life balance articles

• Business boundaries: Are you too available?

  Is there any such thing as being “too available” to your customers? Surely if we want our soloist businesses to thrive we need to be available for our clients whenever they need/want us? Or do we need to set business boundaries?

  • 24 June 09
  • Linda Anderson
  • 13 Comments

• Me time for soloists

  As a soloist and mother to two children, finding me time is a task as difficult as it is necessary.

  • 15 April 09
  • Joh Baker-Dowdell
  • 15 Comments

• How to sustain the holiday feeling

  Even as January ends, my street is still dotted with discarded Christmas trees, drooping fairy lights and half-deflated Santas. I know how he feels. With the tan faded and toys broken, how can you sustain that holiday feeling?

  • 27 January 09
  • Peter Crocker
  • 8 Comments

• How to take extended leave from your business

  A recent challenge as a soloist has been preparing to go on maternity leave. This involves taking extended leave from a majority of my business for a minimum of four months which brings many challenges.

  • 18 August 08
  • Linda Anderson
  • 9 Comments

• Everybody runs their own solo business

  Whether you’re leading a team from the corner office, crafting clothes from the kitchen table, working in a shop or bringing up children, I hereby declare you a solo business owner. You are the CEO of You Inc.

  • 22 April 08
  • Peter Crocker
  • 12 Comments

• Are you taking enough annual leave?

  Often soloists don’t plan their annual leave well enough and, unfortunately for many, they haven’t taken a real holiday for years. Yet it is hugely important for soloists to take meaningful chunks of time out from their business.

  • 19 December 07
  • Linda Anderson
  • 4 Comments

• Yin, yang and work life balance

  The typical soloist is a master of Yang, i.e hard work, striving and making things happen. But what about Yin, and the magic, ease, flow and balance it offers?

  • 18 June 07
  • Peter Morgan
  • 7 Comments

• How to make the most of May

  May is a great time to indulge ourselves. I don’t mean we should merely plan a sleep in, a night out or a massage. Nor do I mean we should go silly and upgrade our Windows software or buy a better desk chair.

  • 02 May 07
  • Karen Morath
  • 1 Comment

• How to make the most of April

  April is a great month. It’s school holidays for some, Easter holidays for others. Joy of joys. Many of us haven’t had a break since January! Now is the perfect time to focus on balancing work and family.

  • 02 April 07
  • Karen Morath
  • 2 Comments

• Setting priorities: Your money or your life

  Being a solist means there's always work that can be done to grow your business, so setting priorities and achieving the right work life balance can be difficult.

  • 13 March 07
  • Peter Crocker
  • 40 Comments

• Creative thinking: What would Virgin Blue do?

  If you're struggling with a lack of ideas or inspiration, sometimes it helps to do some creative thinking and ask, what approach might another business you admire take?

  • 16 October 06
  • Tim Reid
  • 2 Comments

• Workaholic alert! In praise of powering off

  All solopreneurs, most especially those starting out, seem to have an over eager sense of responsibility. Read on to see if you are in danger of becoming a workaholic.

  • 21 April 06
  • Paul J. Morris
  • 3 Comments

• Setting priorities: Looking after our ecosystems

  It's our duty as soloists to turn our back on today's work-obsessed culture. When setting priorities, we must ensure our work takes its rightful place alongside other priorities. When we suffer due to lack of balance, so of course does our business.

  • 10 February 06
  • Sam Leader
  • 13 Comments

• Information overload! Achieving a work life balance

  Us Australians are losing our laidback, carefree reputation, as we continue to work longer hours, exercise less and neglect our leisure and family time. Information overload makes achieving a work life balance increasingly difficult.

  • 25 January 06
  • Thomas Murrell
  • 5 Comments

• Business and personal life balance

  Working in your own business and having a personal life is all about balance and education. Not just educating yourself, but educating your friends and family that what you do is just as important as any other job.

  • 16 September 05
  • Barb Clews

• Managing work life balance: Avoid the ‘always available’ trap

  Modern gizmos and gadgets means soloists can be permanently available to their clients. A good thing? Maybe not. Managing work life balance is an important lesson to learn.

  • 15 September 05
  • Robert Gerrish
  • 3 Comments