Women’s wealth and health as a business owner

As a female business owner, there are sometimes additional challenges that are faced. From experience, one of the challenges I have met in managing my role as a mother and business owner is weighing up the pros and cons of every decision I make. Should I go to my son’s assembly? Or should I be in the office for a meeting? Should I take my mum to her doctor’s appointment? I can’t possibly move my client, can I?

One of the things that alleviated this conflict was getting very clear on my values and sharing that with my team, and in remaining true to my values I knew that whatever happened, I did what was right for me. I decided early on that my family was of higher value than my business so that when conflicts arose, I knew that the family always came first.

I urge you to make time to connect with your team members on heart level to understand their values and make sure they know yours, so you can support each other. If people know it’s important for you to maintain your healthy mental state, or have quiet time at lunch, or be at your kids’ assembly, then they will be open to supporting you.

The other thing that women need to be aware of is keeping their health strong because as a female, we often juggle many hats – mother, domestic CEO, chef, secretary, treasurer, business owner. It’s important to remain healthy in body and mind, to be the best business woman you can be and the best mentor you can be to your team and your family.

Exercise for me is crucial, even if it’s just half an hour, I make it part of my daily ritual as I know without it I don’t perform as well. I also meditate daily, so I have strong mental fitness, as I believe mental health is equally as important as physical health. Sleep and nutrition are also vital to keep sacred, as these help to fuel our bodies and minds which are the vehicles the running our business.  Lastly, I always strive to develop myself both personally and professionally, by learning more about things that resonate with my life goals.

Women often want to prove that they’re doing an amazing job and in the process, they tend to overwork themselves. In keeping yourself robust, it’s important to set boundaries. What is the maximum number of hours that you can work each day before you burn out? What happens if you don’t fit in your exercise, or don’t have time to make a healthy nutritious meal for dinner? When you overwork yourself, you’ll find other areas of your life become unbalanced and you’ll start to resent the business that’s supposed to be giving you a life, not taking it away.

What is going to make you the best, in order to maintain the health of body, mind, self and business?

Suzzanne Laidlaw, business reformer and entrepreneurs’ mentor