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I see so many craft business owners that work their businesses hard for a year or so, then lose interest. I think that much of this has to do with burnout.
It’s not surprising that burnout would be common since craft business owners wear so many hats: Designer, Creator, Researcher, Accountant, Tax Filer, Customer Service Representative, Shipper, Web Designer, Social Media Manager, and so many more.
Today, let’s look at ways that you can prevent burnout in your small business.
Table of Contents
6 Ways to Prevent Burnout in Your Craft Business
Create and Abide by Office Hours
Nearly every entrepreneur I’ve ever talked to works more hours in their business than they would if they worked for someone else. (Myself included!) Since we are driven people, we need to remember there is more to life than our business.
One good way to tackle this is by setting clear work hours. I’ve written about the importance of office hours.
Change Up Your Schedule/Scenery Once in a While
Schedules are great – I honestly live and die by mine – but monotony can set in from doing the same thing over and over again day in and day out.
I have found that I can refresh my mind by just working from a different room – or even sitting outside.
Change Up Your Products
This goes hand in hand with changing up your schedule. While it might sound like more work, change up the products you offer once in a while. Creating the same thing over and over can lead to serious burnout.
This can be as simple as running a weekend sale on something you don’t normally create – like tumblers or tshirts.
Don’t Procrastinate
I’m sure there are tasks in your business that you don’t enjoy doing (hello, accounting!). However, stop the urge to procrastinate and keep up with unenjoyable tasks. If you don’t they can snowball into huge projects that will leave you with a feelings of burnout.
Seek Help When You Are Overwhelmed
If you are buried in things to do, call in an older child, family member, or friend to help conquer your to do list. Remember to pay them accordingly, even if it is just in free product. Similarly, if a task is too hard (like designing a logo or building a website) hire someone to take care of it for you. Fiverr is a great place to find help for one off tasks.
Treat Yourself
I’m not talking about a full out spa day every other day, but treat yourself once in a while. From grabbing a fancy coffee at the local shop or bingeing on your favorite Netflix show for an entire day – find something that you enjoy doing and regularly do it as a reward for your hard work.
Tell me in the comments, how do you prevent burnout in your craft business?
Since 2015, Christine Schinagl has been helping crafters start and run craft businesses through her blog, Cutting for Business. As a Silhouette and Cricut crafter herself, she has a unique take on what works and what doesn’t work in the craft business world. She also enjoys teaching other crafters how to create digital SVG designs, available through the Design with Me series.