Healthy mind & body = healthy business
ALMOST two million small businesses out there represent the backbone of our country and our economy. Starting out on one’s own can be influenced by a variety of reasons. Anything from …‘the boss gives me all the responsibility and no authority ‘ to ‘I want to do this for my family and myself’, or it could be as off the cuff as ‘That sounds like a good idea … think I’ll give it a shot’.
It is however a decision that needs careful consideration as the ramifications will not just affect you, they will affect the many other people that your venture will come to touch. So, you’ll want to give it every chance of success.
Over the last few issues we have presented many practical and sound marketing influencers to help you successfully grow your business. These have mostly come from books, lectures and papers on the subject right through to hardnosed practical experience passed on by professionals in the business.
There is one influencer however that needs to come from within.
During this past year I have started going to the gym, paddling my kayak and adopting a healthy eating regime. The GFC, among other things, has given many of us good reason to think differently and examine our life values. One of these values gathering steam for me, and I am sure for many others, is the positive influence that a regular exercise program and sensible eating regime can have on one’s mental health and feeling of wellbeing.
Think about this for a moment and then relate your business to these same positive effects.
I am not suggesting a fanatical approach to marathon running, a power gym program or embarking on a new fangled and questionable diet. I am suggesting an honest assessment of your current lifestyle and how it influences your business. Change requires discipline and motivation and there’s irrefutable evidence that healthy body/mind = healthy business. So, let’s look at a few positive spin-offs for your business.
Focus is an important ingredient in the decision to change the way you do things, doctors have long adhered to the fact that regular exercise can lift your mood significantly. The resulting optimistic mind set is an absolute pre-requisite particularly for someone looking to start a new business or wanting to change the way they manage their current one. A new focus on you will deliver a new focus on your business.
A decision to have regular exercise and eat better translates to…more energy….translates to an ability to take on more with less effort. Higher energy levels will positively offset longer working hours. Any small business knows that long hours are a part of the deal in fighting for a share of the market against bigger players. They know that they can direct their new found energy to greater creativity and quick footedness and steal the fence, one paling at a time, right from under the noses of the competition.
Staff will notice your new involvement, increased energy and a more active role in the business. The ‘new’ leader will be followed and suddenly the followers begin to enjoy the same benefits of the positive change. This change can be further encouraged by management offering incentives to staff such as partial subsidies to a local gym, sports clubs or the like. This can be incorporated as a part of the salary package… displaying a responsible and caring approach to your staff and HR policy.
The business starts to take on a new healthier, happier face – one which customers will appreciate. Productivity rises, sick days and absenteeism reduce and there’s a positive effect on the bottom line. Stress, is managed a little more easily under the new circumstances and a renewed sense of teamwork can take your business to heights you never thought possible.
We all face the day-to-day challenges that managing a small business brings. But with an attitude change towards a healthier and happier life, we can go on to grow our business, grow our security and ensure a solid future foundation from which our children can also build.
Contact: Eddie Odden@idx.com.au
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