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The best way to ensure that you don’t get a bigger bill than necessary come income tax time is to double check you are getting every deduction possible. There are multiple small business tax deductions available to sole-proprietorships and other small business organizations, such as LLCs.

Different Tax Deductions You Can Apply to Your Business

Keep in mind that while the list below contains some common deductions that may apply to your business, there may be some on this list that don’t work for your specific circumstances. Always check with your accountant before claiming a deduction on your taxes.

1. Home Office

This is one of the most common deductions that small business owners are able to use. In order for you to qualify for the home office deduction, your space needs to pass the needed requirements. You must use the area exclusively for your business. Working from your bed won’t get you the deduction. You should also regularly conduct most of your business from this location.

Beginning in 2013, the IRS introduced a simplified option for you to claim your home office deduction. This allows for you to claim up to 300 square feet at a rate of $5 per square foot. This didn’t change who can claim the deduction. But, it just made it easier to claim the deductions. You are also able to claim your deduction using the standard method. However, this does have a few differences:

• It allows you to claim a percentage of the home used instead of using a 300-square foot cap.
• Depreciation deduction for a portion of the home used is allowed as well as recapture of depreciation upon the sale of the home.
• Actual expenses are used to determine deduction instead of the standard $5/square foot.

Which option you choose when claiming will depend upon your entire tax situation as a whole. Spend some time going over your tax situation in its entirety to figure out what exactly will work better for you.

2. Car Business Use

Just like your home office, using your car for business purposes may allow for you to get a nice deduction on your taxes. This deduction is a bit harder to keep track of if you use your vehicle for both personal and business use.

If you are purchasing a vehicle that will be used at least 50% of the time for business during the year, you are able to deduct this from your taxes. SUVs can yield a deduction of up to $25,000. Smaller passenger vehicles can get you a deduction of up to $11,060.

If you plan on deducting your business mileage, keep in mind that you need to have proper and thorough documentation of exactly how your mileage relates to your business. You also need to keep this documentation on hand for up to seven years after you take the deduction. You are able to deduct either the actual cost of the mileage or take the standard deduction.

Legally, you are able to take the standard deduction even if the actual cost of your mileage is less. However, if you do take the standard deduction, you will not be able to deduct the operating costs of the vehicle. These costs include gasoline, maintenance, or insurance.

3. Advertising and Promotional Materials

Advertising can be one of the biggest, but also the most necessary, expense a small business owner can incur. All of your advertising and promotional materials can be deducted at 100%. Therefore, this expense can also quickly become your biggest deduction as well.

These deductions include not only your paid online and offline advertising, such as billboards or Google ads. It also includes business cards and pamphlets you hand out at networking events. If you paid for SEO services or pay a monthly fee for email marketing software, you are able to deduct those expenses as well.

One advertising expense that is a bit tricky to deduct is vehicle advertising. It’s very common for local small business owners to have their vehicle decorated with their company name, logo, and contact information. The actual cost of adding the promotional materials to your vehicle is deductible. However, the cost of driving around so people can see your vehicle is not deductible.

There are also advertising versus selling costs that need to be kept in mind. If the sole purpose of your business website is advertising, then the monthly maintenance costs and fees are deductible. However, if you also take payments on your website and sell your products there, this is considered a selling fee and no longer deductible under advertising purposes. This also applies to signage. If you post a temporary sign to get attention for your business, you can deduct it. Permanent signs, such as those lasting a year or more, are not deductible.

4. Child and Dependent Care

If you have anyone who is dependent upon you for care, such as your children or a spouse/family member incapable of self-care, you can deduct the expenses you incur while paying for care for them during your working hours.

If you own your business and have employees, offering to pay for your employees’ childcare expenses can also provide you with a fairly lucrative deduction on your taxes. This can add up to $150,000 a year by claiming 10-25% of this expense.

5. Education

It’s always a good idea to further your knowledge and skills in your chosen area of expertise. By attending workshops, taking classes, and purchasing books that are directly tied to furthering the skills you need to properly run your business, you can accrue quite a deduction.

The IRS will definitely take a look at these expenses and determine if they qualify for the deduction. Yet, every single education-related expense that you incur while furthering your education will be deducted at 100%. Any education-related expenses not directly related to your business or that will not help with a new career will not qualify.

6. Retirement Contributions

While you may love what you do, eventually, you will want to retire. Contributing to your retirement fund will give you a great nest egg for the future. It will also give you a great deduction on your income now. You will need to work closely with your tax advisor or accountant to make sure that you set up a qualified plan. Only certain plans qualify, and each plan qualifies only up to a certain amount.

7. Travel

Much like your vehicle expenses, traveling for the sole purpose of work is also deductible. If you are going to be away from your home for longer than one business day, you are able to deduct all expenses accrued during that time as long as you thoroughly document who you are meeting, the purpose of travel, and days of return/departure. Some of the included deductible expenses are:

• Travel expenses, such as plane or train tickets
• Meals, including any tips for service
• Lodging
• Shipping of any baggage and materials necessary for the business trip

Like vehicle expenses, keep very detailed records of your business travel to submit with your taxes. Hold on to those records for a few years after.

8. Legal and Professional Fees

Deductions also include paying for any sort of professional to work with you. These professionals include accountants, business specialists, and attorneys.

Every business owner needs to pay an attorney even if it is just to help get all of their business paperwork in order or draw up partnership papers. These business-related fees deductible. You can also deduct fees for legal matters like creating your will as long as you only deduct the portion that relates to your business inside of the will.

An accountant or another tax professional is crucial to any small business owner. Doing your taxes incorrectly can not only cost you some hard-earned deductions now, but it can also cost you thousands in audit expenses later by not filing everything properly.

Keep in mind that if you pay any of these professionals more than $600 during the year for their fees, you may need to file a 1099-MISC. This will definitely be something you need to consult a professional because it can be very complicated determining who needs to file the 1099-MISC and for what expenses.

Don’t Pay More Than You Need To

While owning your business can be one of the most rewarding experiences you can have, it can also be quite costly, especially when it comes to income tax time. Knowing what you can — and can’t — deduct from your taxes ensures you don’t pay more than you absolutely need.

Republished by permission. Original here

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This article, “You Can Thank Us Later – 8 Small Business Tax Deductions You MUST Consider” was first published on Small Business Trends

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Blame it on Amazon, on the constant stream of social media feeds, or on sheer boredom, but shoppers today increasingly crave new merchandise from retailers. According to Shopper-First Retailing, a new study from Publicis.Sapient and Salesforce based on data from half a billion shoppers worldwide, 69% of shoppers expect to see new products every time they enter a store .

Here’s what the study uncovered and how your retail store or ecommerce website can keep up with shoppers’ insatiable thirst for the new.

Offering New Products is One Key to Retail Success

“Make it fresh” is the new mandate from shoppers, according to the study, which lays out three key rules to follow for success.

Rule 1: Constantly Renew

Shoppers reward freshness with their wallets: Among the top 5% of products that the retailers surveyed sold each month, 59% are new. Keeping your product mix fresh is essential to generating customer loyalty and keeping shoppers coming back for more. Retailers that fail to accomplish these goals will continue losing ground to marketplaces like Amazon, the study contends.

To keep a steady stream of new merchandise in your store or on your website, here are some ideas:

• Visit trade shows to seek out new products to add to your offerings.
• Look for startup manufacturers or distributors who may be interested in selling to you.
• Ask your customers which products or brands they’d like to see you carry.

Of course, you don’t have to turn over all your inventory every week to give shoppers a sense of the new. Providing a new feeling, look or experience every time shoppers visit can help create that renewal they seek. For example:

• Rotate displays to bring different merchandise to the front of your store or the home page of your website each week.
• Spotlight a particular brand or type of product each week.
• Change out your window displays and your store home page each week.
• Invite a brand you sell to do a pop-up shop in your store (check out these 25 examples of eye-popping pop-up shops for ideas).

Rule 2: Act with Urgency

Customers who have purchased from you recently are most likely to buy from you again. According to the study, half of repeat buyers make a second purchase within 16 days of their first purchase.

But while 50% of shoppers make their first purchase of a product through a retailer, 47% go to marketplaces like Amazon when they want to buy it again. If you want to avoid losing customers to competitors, you’ve got to act quickly to re-engage the first-time buyer.

This can include:

• Loyalty offers
• Upselling (try sending an email suggesting a related product)
• Retargeted ads

Personalization can also help get first-time shoppers back. An e-commerce site can provide personalized “you might also like” recommendations; a store salesperson can review studying a shopper’s past purchases before suggesting new items to try on in the store.

Rule 3: Create Unique Products

No small retailer can hope to compete with Amazon’s vast catalog of products. But small retailers can compete when it comes to offering unique products that no one else has. Consider these survey findings:

• 59% of customers are more likely to buy from a retailer that offers customization
• 49% are more likely to buy from a retailer that offers limited editions
• 36% are more likely to buy from a retailer that offers collaborations

Thirty-one out of 70 retailers that were “mystery shopped” in the study offered customized products or product collaborations, and four out of five top-performing stores offered some type of customization.

Customization can range from the minimal (monogramming or engraving a product) to the maximal (creating a product from scratch to the customer’s specifications). American Girl and Build-a-Bear are prime examples of customization, but this is also within reach for small retailers. For example, one store in the study offered made-from-scratch jewelry handcrafted in the store. Retailers that enable shoppers to truly create products from scratch stand to benefit greatly.

Follow these rules, and it’s not so hard to provide shoppers with the constant new products they crave.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “3 Rules to Help Your Retail Business Provide the New Products Customers Demand” was first published on Small Business Trends

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The House Small Business Committee recently announced five Committee Democratic Members who will serve as Subcommittee Chairs for the 116th Congress. With the Democrats in charge of the House now, Small Business Trends got in touch with House Small Business Committee Chairwoman Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) to get an idea of the committee’s goals for 2019.

2019 House Small Business Committee Goals

Issues

Velázquez stressed a hands-on approach to tackling the issues small businesses face.
“I am looking to hold a wide range of hearings that will probe the diverse challenges facing America’s entrepreneurs. I am proud that we have an exciting group of new Members who will be serving as Subcommittee Chairs for the 116^th Congress,” she wrote in an email.

Top Priorities

“Through hearings at both the full and subcommittee levels, we will dive into the most pressing issues facing small firms such as access to capital, workforce development, exporting abroad, and expanding access to the federal procurement marketplace.”

The National Small Business Association recently placed the trained worker’s skills gap as the third priority issue for the 116^th Congress. The association bookmarked several of the other points the committee flagged.

Velázquez also pointed to a focus on rural areas. She underlined a few of the digital issues facing small business there and acknowledged the impact of international trade disputes.

SBA Programs

“As a Committee, we will look at how we can expand investments in SBA programs for rural areas, as well as address the most pressing issues facing rural entrepreneurs such as a lack of broadband, the opioid crisis, and the impact of tariffs on our small agricultural and manufacturing firms.”

Small Business Concerns

There were other long standing small business concerns like lack of access to traditional capital for loans that Velázquez said would be another one of the committee’s focuses. She said that when it comes to start-ups particularly, there were several other sources of funding like the SBA’s Small Business Investment Company (SBIC) program.

“The program was created as a source of financing to fill the gap between bank loans and more traditional equity capital. On the Committee, we constantly hear from entrepreneurs who need more flexible forms of capital investment, such as the SBIC program. The Committee will conduct work in this area to ensure that the SBA’s capital offerings keep pace with the needs of entrepreneurs.”

Flexibility

She pledged the Committee will work to make sure that any capital offerings from the SBA will be geared towards the flexible forms of capital investment start-ups need. There was at least one area where the incoming Chairwoman felt there was a special need for a bipartisan push from both sides of the aisle — infrastructure.

Infrastructure

She noted how deteriorating infrastructure has a negative effect on the nation’s economy because transportation delays up expenses for small businesses. She also mentioned how any needed reform would benefit three small business sectors specifically.

“For small firms operating in sectors such as construction, manufacturing, and agriculture, a robust infrastructure package has the potential to fuel new jobs and innovation,” she wrote.

Expanding small business access to the federal procurement marketplace was another touchpoint. While Velázquez pointed to the ongoing work that’s been done in the area, she acknowledged much more needs to be accomplished.

Disparities

“Despite recent advancements, disparities remain for small contractors and especially for traditionally underserved entrepreneurs when it comes to accessing the $500 billion a-year federal marketplace,” she writes. “Ensuring that small contractors are paid in a timely manner, expanding mentorship resources to underserved entrepreneurs, and ensuring proper oversight of existing initiatives are all steps the Committee must take towards leveling the playing field for small contractors and subcontractors.”

Velázquez offered a perspective on the Republican tax law that was at least partially geared toward small businesses.

“The Republican tax law is projected to add nearly two trillion dollars to our deficit and as we have heard on the Committee, provides little relief to small businesses. At the end of the day, we ought to be focused on tax reform that will increase compliance assistance for small firms and update the tax code to meet the needs of a 21^st century workforce.”

The Small Business Committee’s Subcommittee Chairs for the 116th Congress are: Rep. Abby Finkenauer (D-IA) will Chair the Subcommittee on Rural Development, Agriculture, Trade, and Entrepreneurship. Rep. Andy Kim (D-NJ) will Chair the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access. Rep. Jared Golden (D-ME) will Chair the Subcommittee on Contracting and Infrastructure. Rep. Jason Crow (D-CO) will Chair the Subcommittee on Innovation and Workforce Development. Rep. Judy Chu (D-CA) will Chair the Subcommittee on Investigations, Oversight and Regulations.

Image: smallbusiness.house.gov

This article, “House Small Business Committee Outlines Goals for 2019” was first published on Small Business Trends

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The hiring process can be long, tedious and repetitive — yet, completely necessary to find talent which will fit your company. Once you’ve found the perfect fit for your company, you want to make sure that your offer is accepted. This can lead to some very interesting or unusual elements within a potential new hire’s offer letter. To find out more, we asked entrepreneurs from Young Entrepreneur Council the following:

“What is the most unusual thing you’ve included in an employee’s offer letter?”

Unusual Things in Offer Letters

Here’s what YEC community members had to say:

1. Unlimited Seltzer Water

“We have an employee that is obsessed with seltzer and we knew that by adding this to the offer letter we’d get the right reaction and hopefully an acceptance. We wanted the employee to know that we were obsessed with the details, remembered the conversations we had and wanted to make their experience working with us a good one. Sometimes it’s the little things that stand out.” ~ Corey Eulas, Factorial Digital

2. Walks on the Beach

“Being in southern California, we had a candidate make a joke about loving walks on the beach. This candidate then crushed the interview; they were so passionate and had all the right questions. We left feeling like we knew this individual for years. We were confident this person would take our offer, so I included “walks on the beach” in the offer. They loved it and are now apart of our team.” ~ Colbey Pfund, LFNT Distribution

3. Pet-Friendly Office

“We have a team member with us now that is a huge dog lover. He brings his dog everywhere. Learning this through the interview process, we included in our offer letter that we’d make our office dog-friendly (it had never come up before) — meaning he could bring his pal with him to work every day. Now, not only does he get to have his dog in the office, but we have our very own mascot.” ~ Zach Binder, Bell + Ivy

4. Bagel Tuesdays

“During the interview they asked if we had any specific company morale events on a weekly basis. We said that we do something once a quarter, usually an outing. They suggested bagel breakfast Tuesdays. We liked it, so we added it.” ~ Nicole Munoz, Nicole Munoz Consulting

5. Mugs with Personalized Avatars

“Because I run several online businesses, many employees have an online business profile. They can choose if they’d like to use an actual image of themselves or a professionally created avatar. While I offer more significant perks and bonuses in a job offer, I do also offer a personalized mug with their business avatar. What is more motivational than looking at yourself!” ~ Shu Saito, Godai Soaps

6. Unlimited Time Off

“Since our company is entirely remote, we can’t offer many perks that other companies with physical locations can like unlimited coffee, so instead we offer unlimited time off. This perk is perfect for a remote company and our employees who value job flexibility.” ~ Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights

7. Monthly Massages

“A fantastic benefit that I love to offer our management and front desk employees is access to a free massage at our studio, every month. This perk gets employees very excited about the potential for working with us, and is a nice benefit to welcome them to the team and thank them for their hard work.” ~ Rachel Beider, Massage Outpost

8. Their Choice Between Equity and Cash

“Everyone has a different set of priorities and life situation. We like to let our employees choose from a menu of three different cash and equity options. You can choose more cash and less equity, middle-middle or more equity and less cash. There is no judgment in selection, we just want to be creative about supporting our team in the way that fits them best.” ~ Aaron Schwartz, Passport

9. Seed Funding for Side Hustles

“Unlike some companies and corporations, particularly larger ones, we try to encourage our team to be entrepreneurial. This encouragement goes so far as to frequently help our employees start businesses in their downtime. Obviously, none of these can compete, but there is no reason not to let your team taste the fruits of the gig economy as well.” ~ Ryan Bradley, Koester & Bradley, LLP

10. Free Change of Environment

“If they’re not able to be productive in their current environment, they are free to change to a new environment of their choice at any given moment. They don’t have to stay stuck in an office they’re not happy in. They can move around at their discretion. I have seen that being in the office all the time actually inhibits productivity and hacks their creativity. I like to give freedom of location.” ~ Sweta Patel, Startup Growth Mode

11. International Remote Days

“We offer 14 “international remote days” to all hires. Millennials love to travel and our retention is higher because we allow our employees to have the best of both worlds. The rules? They have to be at least three time zones away, have access to high speed wifi and outline goals while remote. Our company wins because the team mixes PTO and remote days so productivity doesn’t completely halt!” ~ Krish Chopra, NPHub

12. No Management Structure

“Being a completely remote company we already offer unlimited time off and the ability to create your own office hours. If you are a night owl you can work during the middle of the night if you are a morning person, go for it. With that said, everyone at our company has a voice and there is no management structure. All employees are equally important and their ideas and concerns are listened to.” ~ Jared Brown, Hubstaff Talent

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This article, “12 Most Unusual Offers Made to Recruit a New Employee” was first published on Small Business Trends

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Earlier this week, we all snoozed through a large portion of the Super Bowl.

Hopefully, before you dozed off, you were able to catch the story of former NFL star Nolan Carroll.

Nolan never got to play in the Super Bowl during his NFL career, but like nearly 1 in 4 former pro football players, he’s making a play in small business afterward.

He’s teaming up with an international human rights lawyer and launching an app called YOOTROO. It’s designed to help local mom-and-pop businesses, probably just like yours.

His story is not the only NFL start-turned-entrepreneur story we’ve shared. Check out this story on Chris Gronkowski, the brother of Super Bowl champion Rob, and how he’s using Instagram to build his brand.

Football wasn’t the only thing making headlines this week. We also learned about some surprising jobs numbers and a new survey was released on just what people want to see from your social media posts.

Check them all out in our news and information roundup below:

Employment

Economy Adds 300,000 Jobs in January Despite Government Shutdown

The U.S. economy added 304,000 jobs while the unemployment rate rose slightly to 4 percent in the first month of 2019, according to Department of Labor (DOL) data released Friday. January 2019 Jobs Report January marks the 100th straight month of job growth in the U.S., a record more than twice as long as the previous one of 48 months set in June 1990.

Marketing Tips

26% of Gen Z Wants to be Entertained by Your Online Content

Content is the engine that drives today’s digital ecosystem. Whether it is a website, blog, social media channel or even e-commerce, you have to have the right content. And for 26% of Gen Z consumers, you will do better if you entertain them. The data comes from an international study commissioned by WP Engine and conducted by The Center for Generational Kinetics.

Research

30% of Freelance Writers Make Less Than $10 Per Hour Their First Year, Survey Says

Written content has become an integral part of an online presence, and this has created a boon for freelance writers. As more freelance writers enter this segment, the question has to be asked, “How Much Do Freelance Writers Make?” The Pay Survey 2019 from Make a Living Writing is looking to answer this question with the help of 1,400+ participating freelance writers.

Social Media

Big Changes Come for Business Users as Google Plus Shutdown Looms

If you use it for your small business, you probably know the end of Google Plus is near. The consumer side of Google Plus will shut down in April 2019, but the company started implementing changes starting on February 4, 2019. The shutdown comes months before the August 2019 date Google announced in October of 2018.

Taxes

14 Important Dates for Small Businesses in the 2019 Tax Calendar

Tax season is approaching. But for many businesses, managing taxes can be a yearlong undertaking. In fact, there are many different types of deadlines you should be aware of throughout the year. 2019 Tax Calendar Here are the most important tax dates for businesses to know in 2019.

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This article, “In the News: Former NFLer Turning Attention to Mom-and-Pop Businesses” was first published on Small Business Trends

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I swear, every time I buy something somewhere I have the cashier asking me to “take this survey” or “let me know how we did” or “fill this out for a chance at a prize.”

Ugh…

I mean, I know what they’re trying to do, but it gets really, really old.

Still, it did inspire this Valentine’s Day cartoon …

This article, “Even Cupid Needs Customer Feedback” was first published on Small Business Trends

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The numbers speak for themselves—having a work environment that engages employees is just as important as good sales numbers and loyal customers.

How to Improve Office Culture

Here’s 10 ways you can make your company’s office culture better.

Be Transparent  

A company that wants to build an office culture where everyone feels engaged needs to be open and transparent. Making sure that your office is positioned for growth means spotting and fixing problems before they knock everyone off course.

Being transparent means sharing the lessons from any failures or mistakes. When you hide shortcomings from employees, you’re only maintaining an office and not fostering a culture.

One quick way to get this ball rolling is to let employees submit anonymous questions that get answered by management at scheduled meetings.

Stop the Burnout Cycle  

It’s important for business leaders to understand that a healthy work environment means long term growth. Burning people out so the company succeeds has always been a bad idea, more so now when skilled people are in short supply.

Scheduling the week’s work in advance can make all the difference. There’s lots of software on the market that can help you and your team take the needless hustle out of your office like this offering from Zoho.

Dress Appropriately

Working in an office means that you need to be respectful of your clients and fellow co workers. Common sense needs to prevail. Even though many dress codes are more relaxed these days, you still need to be mindful of how you represent your employer by what you wear.

Align Your Office Culture with the Bigger Picture

When you’re looking to shape an office culture, you need to be sure you’re designing something that can fold into the bigger company picture.  Do your teams work together toward clearly defined goals or do you foster competition to boost sales numbers?

You might need to brainstorm across several departments here to get input.

Foster Collaboration  

This needs to come from the top down so it spreads through your small business. Hosting a social team event is a great way to break barriers down so everyone gets to know each other on a personal level.

Define the Mission  

If you want everyone to work together and be on the same page, you need to tell them clearly what’s on it. Start by tackling the tough questions like what people can expect from working in your office and what values are front and center for your business.

Don’t Come to Work Sick  

You might fall behind on a project or two if you’re sick and stay a home to recoup. However, coming in when you’ve got a bug can give the whole office the sniffles.

Use Technology  

Everyone needs to be on the same page for your staff to stay motivated. There’s a variety of digital tools to get that done like Alexa For Business. This is a great way to alert everyone quickly when there’s a meeting or big announcement.

Maintain Office Equipment 

Motivating people to do great work is at least partially about giving them the right tools to work with. Preferably ones that are well maintained. Slow computers that crash a lot can actually be an unnecessary anchor on your office atmosphere and production both.

Keep the Atmosphere Bright  

The right lighting makes a big difference.  Natural light and plenty of windows actually improves the energy level and motivation.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “10 Ways to Improve Your Company’s Office Culture” was first published on Small Business Trends

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As the leader of a small business, you’re bent on driving growth. You are willing to put in the work that’s needed to achieve that, but paradoxically, working too hard could create unexpected obstacles to your business growth.

If you’re working hard and putting in long hours but your business has hit a plateau, it’s possible that your hard work is the problem.

Here are some of the ways that working too hard could be holding your business back from realizing its growth potential.

Working Too Hard Stops You from Delegating Effectively

When you work too hard, you end up micromanaging your own employees. This undermines their dedication to the business and sends a silent message that you don’t trust them to meet your expectations. That can become a self-fulfilling prophecy, generating resentment and an unhealthy work atmosphere.

“As a CEO and Entrepreneur, your success will directly correlate to how well you can assemble the best team and then bring out the best in those people,” notes Mark Moses, the CEO of CEO Coaching International. “Micromanagers should never be CEOs of large or growing companies. This is because they are simply too complex to micromanage. Being involved at every level and not delegating to your team creates a bottleneck that essentially strangles an organization.”

Indeed, in order for your business to really scale, you need talented employees who are experts in their areas of specialty. If you’re working too hard, you are probably carrying out tasks which don’t draw on your real strengths. When you hire experts, they can carry out the work in less time, thanks to their training and experience, and you can free yourself up to focus on those strategic tasks which no one else can do.

Working Too Hard Stops You From Building Scalable Business Systems

No matter how hard you work, there is a limit to what a single person can achieve. For a business to scale successfully, it needs to be based on smart systems that can expand beyond your own capabilities. When you focus on completing task after task at all costs, instead of building a scalable business process that will do it for you, you’re stunting your business growth.

“Yes, your talents and skills were the reason that it was able to get up and running, but they will not be the tools that allow it to reach future success,” says Ken Marshall, founder of Doorbell Digital Marketing. “Now don’t get me wrong, working hard and getting things done is not an inherently bad thing. In fact, when your company is in its infancy, you’re going to be doing most of the work. But at some point you’re going to have to figure out ways to remove yourself from all of the repetitive or non essential tasks, take a step back, and look at where the ship is headed.”

Working too hard can create an overdependence on you. If your employees are constantly interrupting you to ask for decisions that they should be capable of reaching on their own, it prevents you from focusing on your more important core responsibilities, and holds them back from potential growth in their own roles.

Working Too Hard Prevents You from Thinking Creatively

For your business to scale, you need to feel passionate about it. But when you work too hard, your drive and passion get drowned out by petty tasks that should be delegated to someone else.

You could end up focusing too narrowly on the minutiae of the business, making it difficult to see the big picture and create an effective business strategy. At the same time, rushing so fast from one task to the next prevents you from focusing fully on any one aspect of the business, which will also prevent you from maintaining perspective with a holistic growth plan.

A study by Stanford University designed to measure cognitive load found that people who were told to remember a seven-digit number made far poorer decisions than those told to remember a single-digit number. When you’re stressed out by your unreasonably large workload, it hampers your ability to think creatively. It maxes out your cognitive load with minor issues, leaving you with no capacity to make difficult business decisions or react to important growth opportunities.

How to Avoid Being a Bottleneck at your Own Company

Changing the habit of working too hard is easier said than done. Simply working less isn’t a viable solution. There’s a good chance that vital business processes grew up around your habit of overwork; if you suddenly reduce the amount of work you’re doing, you could cause the whole business to fall apart.

An important first step is to reflect on what is causing you to work too hard. Identifying the cause could give you the insight you need to change your work habits.

Sometimes, CEOs end up working too hard because there isn’t enough money to hire more employees. If this is the case, then the solution is simple – get out there and find a way to add an employee or two. A business loan could give you the working capital you need to make some new hires.

Often, the habit of working too hard springs up because you are the one who established all the key business processes. You never transmitted them to others, so no one else knows what to do. By sharing core business processes, contacts and passwords with selected executives and employees, you can withdraw your personal involvement in every business issue.

Having trouble accepting that someone else can do a task as well as you can is especially common among CEOs who’ve nursed a company from its startup days. If you’ve always been the one to do this task, it’s easy to think that no one else can replace you. But no one is irreplaceable. Learning to step back a little and show some trust in your employees is the path to a better work atmosphere, as well as improved business growth.

Occasionally, CEOs overwork themselves simply out of ignorance that there is a better way. It’s not easy to pause the whirlwind, but investing time to develop more sustainable, growth-friendly business practices is a worthy investment.

Are You a Roadblock or a Catapult?

As the CEO, you could work hard in ways that hold the company back from reaching its full growth potential, or you could work smart in ways that make you the source of its success. Working too hard can creep up on you without you realizing.

With a little perspective, you can gain insight into the causes of your behavior, and learn how to change it to enable your business to scale successfully.

Image: Depositphotos.com

This article, “Reasons Working Too Hard at Your Business is a Waste of Time” was first published on Small Business Trends

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