Don’t Burn Out Your Passion

Running a business can be draining. Running a dog daycare that you’re passionate about can be downright overwhelming.

The pet care business is demanding, not only in workload, but in emotion as well. No one gets into the business of running a dog daycare and boarding facility without a distinct love for animals and the desire to protect and care for them. That means you wear your heart on your sleeve all day, every day at work and pour everything you have into your job. Having such an emotionally involved job can quickly catch up with you if you aren’t focused on maintaining some separation from the job and the rest of your life.

Figuring out how to keep your work life and your personal life balanced is key to avoiding burn out as a business owner. Not only does allowing yourself to be consumed by your business impact your personal well-being, it can have disastrous consequences for your business as well. So you’d better figure out effective strategies for leaving the business behind at the doorstep of your location.

Balance as a Business Owner

The benefits of being a business owner can sometimes create challenges when it comes to finding work-life balance. As a business owner, you get to make decisions, shape the way your business runs, and call the shots. However, all of these activities can eat up so much of your time that you may find it following you home at night. Oftentimes, those who are running a business find themselves immersed in emails and phone calls regardless of the time. Putting down your devices and focusing on things outside of work can help you recharge your batteries and replenish your energy and creativity.

Those that find themselves running a dog daycare are likely to be even more involved than other business owners. You got into the pet care industry because of a personal love for animals and leaving that at the door when you “clock out” can be tough. You likely own pets yourself, and have started getting involved in other aspects of pet care whether through fostering, volunteering, or simply being an advocate. Things like this can blur the lines between work and play and sometimes overwhelm. While you may be passionate about animals, don’t let it consume your entire life and leave you feeling emotionally drained.

Do you love pets and have an interest in starting a successful business in the pet care industry? Read why K9 Resorts is a great fit!

Why K9 Resorts is a Great Franchise for Animal Lovers

Dedicating Time

As a business owner, you have the ability to implement changes so that you can dedicate time to being totally off the clock. Often, running a business puts you in charge of everything, especially in the beginning. This leaves business owners with a sense of responsibility and needing to handle every single aspect of the business. Frequently they find themselves having a hard time delegating tasks to their employees.

However, focusing on giving more of your own workload to your capable employees will allow you to free up time to spend out of your business. As an example, running a dog daycare like K9 Resorts gives you and your staff the training needed to succeed. As your staff becomes trained and familiar with processes and procedures, they can easily take on more responsibility within the organization which frees up your time!

You don’t have to tackle the entire operation of your business by yourself. Things like social media posting, customer support, promotional materials, and customer communication can either be initiated by other employees for your approval or completely handled by someone else that you trust. Your focus is on your business and growing a client base and that takes an entire team to accomplish. Lean on your team for help!

Not only can you dedicate tasks and time to other employees, you must be strict about your own time. That means setting standard work hours that you follow and managing the time you have in the office. If you’re efficient, you can accomplish just as much work in half the time, which opens up a lot more freedom for work-life balance. Invest in time-tracking tools that will allow you to see where you’re losing time throughout the day and where you can create efficiencies. Additionally, put a focus on personal time and don’t feel guilty about letting your employees handle the business when you’re away.

Helping Employees Achieve Balance

While you’re focusing on your own work-life balance, don’t forget about your dedicated employees. When you’re running a business, you’re responsible for helping your employees maintain an adequate balance between work hours and time off. Just like you, your employees are animal lovers and they’ve decided to dedicate their careers to taking care of people’s pets. That means that they also probably “take the job home with them” each night when the doors close. Giving your employees the opportunity to have personal time outside their dedication to your business is key in maintaining healthy working relationships with them. They need a breather just like you, so as a dog daycare owner, make sure that availability is built into your business.

Running any business can be challenging, but running a dog daycare is equal parts fulfilling and all encompassing. Having a focus on maintaining your personal life outside your business is key to your success as a business owner and as an individual. Spending too much time immersed in your business can make you resentful, stressed, and lead to a detrimental burn out that can be catastrophic for your business. While loving your job is great, you don’t want to be a slave to it even if it’s your business.

If you’re looking into running a dog daycare and want to start out with support, look into franchising with K9 Resorts. Our pet care and facilities are unparalleled and our track record speaks for itself. We’re focused on a growth culture with incredible support and training for our franchisees, which means once you’re set up, you can focus on your work-life balance.