I run my own business and make a very healthy living, but I don't know how much longer I can keep this up.

16 Comments

1. Lesa Edwards, Career Coach & Master Resume WriterJuly 11,2022 at 2:57PM UTC

   Helen,

   You get to decide what to make your success mean...while at the same time letting go of some things that a)others can do better than you, and b)don't maximize your zone of genius.

   Do you have a daily gratitude practice? Sometimes we have to look for the smallest nuggets of gratitude and find the silver lining behind those clouds :).

   As for your workload, what about a Virtual Assistant (VA)? I hired one last year and I worship the very ground she walks on...it has made all the difference. If this appeals, begin by documenting how you spend your time for 1 week - which of these activities could be outsourced? You'll also need this data to find the right VA with the proper skillset.

   If it is more appealing to you to step away from your business, you have my permission to do so :). Just make sure you are moving towards what you want, rather than away from what you don't want. Be purposeful - and make sure you like your reasons.

2. Nancy MayJuly 11,2022 at 4:01PM UTC

   Consider getting two interns studying to do what you do. I say two as that can create a little competition. Maybe talk to them about hiring them and/or turning the business to them when you retire. With two, they can help each other and one may drop out. Ask the school for the most motivated in the class!

3. UnaJuly 11,2022 at 5:32PM UTC

   Are you in a position to take on someone else to help with the work load, maybe a VPA might be able to help. You can arrange how many hours a week you need them for, agree the rate with them upfront and termination period. Really worth thinking about it as what happens if you get sick, instead of being hit by that truck. Happy to have a chat if you want. Take care,

4. AnonymousJuly 11,2022 at 7:03PM UTC

   Running your business takes many different tasks above and beyond the creative work.

   If you absolutely had to, I bet you could hand off 5 to 10 hours per week to an assistant.

   Sure you'd have to pay this person but those are 5 to 10 hours of your life you'd get back of sanity and rest

   Life is nothing but a series of choices. You need to decide what a quality of life balance looks like for you.

   I love my life and work hard on having balance and joy and time to enjoy the fruits of my labor. My family and friends get my best self because I learned long ago that I'm not for sale. So I do what I can to fund my wonderful like while making sure I honor my life boundaries.

5. AnonymousJuly 11,2022 at 8:23PM UTC

   Sorry you are hitting this wall!

   I don't run my own business but I heard this from a guy who advises entrepreneurs.

   80 / 20 rule. 80 percent of your business comes from 20% of your clients. I think that is how it goes.

   So theoretically You could cut up to 20% of your clients, the most annoying, most time consuming, most NOT your wheelhouse clients. And still retain 80% of your income.

   I just joined fairy god boss today so I don't know whats allowed as far as sharing links etc, but its Ramit Sethi.

6. AnonymousJuly 11,2022 at 8:31PM UTC

   It's all about what quality of life looks like to you.

   All I read is a an overwhelming need to provide your family with enough security from finances that they never want for anything.

   So it sounds like you have the finances box checked.

   Is there a quality of life you'd like to achieve? If so, what would that look like? I mean we'd all love a simpler life without cares and pressure of demanding work and to be highly compensated for that work but it doesn't work like that.

   The challenge is to balance what you love to do with what you need to finance your lifestyle.

7. KatJuly 11,2022 at 9:08PM UTC

   It's ok to not do everything yourself. I know that's tough for a lot of people to realize because they're passionate about what they're doing. Passion is great, but it's obvious you need help to get your life back in balance. It's ok to step back a little. List the tasks that you like to do and focus on those. For the other tasks that you don't like or take too much time, hire someone to do those. A virtual/remote assistant would be a great help. (I've got lots of admin experience, so if you want to talk more, DM me here.) Since you're looking to retire/sell the business in 10 years, consider taking on a partner. You could teach them the business and get the help you need now with the intention of them taking it over when you're ready to retire then. That would be a very attractive prospect to many creatives and investors.

8. AnonymousJuly 11,2022 at 9:51PM UTC

   Part of growing a business is adding more staff to help lessen the workload. Since you make a healthy income, can you afford to hire someone part time to help you out? You are only 1 person. 10 yrs is a long time to run on burn-out.

9. AnonymousJuly 12,2022 at 3:50AM UTC

   I'm sorry you don't earn enough to be able to take time off often enough not to have it freak you out that you'll lose everything. That's no way to live.

   Why not consider a side hustle to take the pressure off, something fun and engaging?

   Being so frazzled all the time can't be healthy.

10. AnonymousJuly 12,2022 at 5:09AM UTC

    I completely understand.

    I find myself on verge of breakdown daily. All I can do is breathe through the discomfort. I get through the day by just surrendering to the moment of work and the kids spending time alone on iPads. It’s not fair. I wish I could be there for them like I used to. I just joined here tonight to learn more coping strategies but also to know I’m not alone in these feelings.

11. Anne CarpenterJuly 12,2022 at 2:50PM UTC

    I recommend hiring a good executive coach immediately. one who will both provide an understanding outlet for your held-in emotions and who will also provide suggestions on how to begin to identify tasks you can assign to others that will enable you to thrive in your zone of genius. I have one to recommend who really saved me.

12. KristinJuly 12,2022 at 2:54PM UTC

    Can you take your skills in-house somewhere? I know the earning potential is likely less, but the stress is SO much less. Even if you just did it a few years to reset. I was independent for 7 years and reached a similar place to you. Between selling the work and running the business, when it came time to actually DO the work, I was already exhausted. I did hire some part time help but even so, that only got me so far. Self employment is HARD. I know it gets glamorized a lot, but honestly it's just brutal most of the time. When I got pregnant I took a j-o-b. I knew I couldn't do both - self employment and parenthood, at least while she's little. It's just so all-consuming. Even though I learned to get good about boundaries - only working with clients that were right for me, setting high rates to attract the right clients and give myself some breathing room, and stopped working nights (except for well-qualified, vetted networking opportunities) and weekends, I was still always thinking about it in some way. I've been in-house for 5 years now and don't regret it.

    That said, I think I was most happy when I was working on contract through a consulting company. You get the best of both worlds - a lot of the autonomy and control over your own schedule that you get with self employment, and some say over what projects you take on, but the consulting firm takes on the selling and operations. The hourly rate works out to less than you'd charge on an hourly basis independently BUT you don't have the same tax burden and again, none of the overhead of selling and operations, so I found the hourly rate to actually be fairly equivalent. The biggest drawback was I wasn't always guaranteed enough hours, so between projects it was sometimes a bit harrowing wondering if I'd get assigned on something soon or not. But, just like when you're independent, building good relationships with clients starts to narrow that gap as people get to know you and request you get assigned to their projects.

    I'm in a "9-5" now that I like but it's not as much as that last role. The only reason I left that last role was because personal reasons meant I needed something a bit more predictable and steady with more affordable benefits as we were losing the benefits from my husband's job.

    The only tricky part about going from self employment to in-house is a lot of people think you're feral and don't want to hire you because they think you'll get antsy quick and leave, or want to run things your way or whatever. I don't actually know what their concerns are. But find the company or person who's not shy about hiring independent thinkers and get a year or two with them to prove you're not feral and you'll be golden.

    I guess that's the long way of me saying it's okay to put this down and try something else.

13. JJJuly 12,2022 at 6:04PM UTC

    Owning your own business is hard! Good job! There is nothing wrong with changing course if that is what is best in the long run. I made that choice and it has worked really. My entrepreneurial experience has served me well.

14. AnonymousJuly 12,2022 at 9:40PM UTC

    That's rough, but I'd question the statement that you're the only person who can do your job. Sometimes we try to "hold up the world" when in reality someone else could help us with some of it. A friend who's a business owner sought out business coaching, and it's been incredibly helpful in improving efficiency and setting boundaries. It sounds like counseling might be helpful also. If you truly can't let go even when you're not at work, you might need more mental health support. Hopefully, you can find a healthy balance and continue to be successful while not jeopardizing your well-being.

15. AnonymousJuly 13,2022 at 3:02AM UTC

    If you’re getting secure client work, reduce the non-essential parts of social, networking and other interactions. Or sell your business and client list.

16. Patricia ManroeJuly 13,2022 at 5:15AM UTC

    Try to hire a new creative to take some of the load off of you.