In the case of the more established businesses, they have generally put any ideas or thoughts of growth on hold, while the start-ups are cautious about committing money to anything but the barest bones of business necessity.
Leaving aside all the arguments for and against spending on staff, marketing, web development, personal and professional development and many other aspects of running a successful business, there is one area of spend that rarely gets mentioned and is often overlooked completely:
Reward.
If you are an employee, you expect to get paid, and if you do well and your company thrives you may well expect to be rewarded over and above your wage - even if it's just a token gesture or even having the boss buy you a couple of beers. Corporate days out are a great way for a business to repay the hard work of its team. Tax efficient too, as there are allowances for such things which can make it a cost-free exercise once the tax bill has been taken into account.
But if you run your own business with few or no staff; working long hours, weekends and holidays just to keep yourself afloat...and you SUCCEED in doing just that, don't you deserve a reward too?
Too many times I see people driving themselves into the ground, and taking as little as possible from the business; just enough to pay the bills, but not quite enough to feel that it's all worth it.
These people are working for a tomorrow that may never arrive, and they are driving much of the joy out of their lives.
If you recognise anything of yourself in this picture...STOP!
Ask yourself the question: would the business collapse if I took a half day, switched off my phone and played a round of golf? Would I lose customers if I kept a weekend free to spend with my family?
If you're not sure - why not ask your customers?
We do no favours to ourselves or our clients if we are working at less than our full potential, so it's vital that you reward yourself for your efforts, just as you would reward your staff, or expect to be rewarded were you to be an employee.
It needn't be anything grand or expensive - it might just be a matter of "That was a job well done. I'm going to buy a really nice bottle of wine to have with dinner instead of the usual plonk." or give yourself a box of chocolates. Take a walk in the country. Really - whatever makes you feel as though your life isn't entirely and solely devoted to work.
