May 4, 2022
Still trying to find that perfect Mother’s Day gift? May the fourth be with you.
In this week's edition:
FEEL THE BURN
ICYMI: It’s Mental Health Awareness month.
It’s May, and that means it’s officially Mental Health Awareness month. This week, we’re kicking things off by providing you with some resources for identifying and battling burnout — long term.
How common is business burnout? Well, The Hustle surveyed over 300 entrepreneurs, and 63% reported that they’ve dealt with or are currently dealing with burnout.
What is burnout?
Burnout can be described as job-induced depression. It’s identified by three key pillars: exhaustion, feelings of cynicism or detachment from work, and a sense of ineffectiveness.
There’s a reason you started your small business — you have a passion for what you do and who you help. So every day you’re getting after it. And hey, there’s no shame in that game. But it definitely makes you more susceptible to burnout.
Signs of burnout can certainly creep up on you. It could look like feeling flat or numb, struggling with a sense of defeat, or experiencing a loss of motivation. In turn, you might experience less patience with colleagues or friends, a shorter temper, or the need to distance yourself from work.
This resonates with me more than I’d care to admit.
If you think you’re experiencing burnout, acknowledging it is the first step to getting back to your true, driven self. Because it paves the way for you to take actionable steps towards recovery.
We’re not saying the path is easy, but healing burnout is 100% possible — through things like making intentional lifestyle changes, adding support systems, and learning how to reprogram the brain.
Here are some great ways you can practice burnout recovery:
YOU GET PTO, AND YOU GET PTO!
Time off sounds great.
Agreed. Maybe you want to make summer vacation plans and join the 72% of people who plan to spend more money on travel this year compared to last year. Or maybe one of your employees just needs to take a day to recharge and relax.
In any case, you and your employees deserve some hard-earned time off. That means you’ll want a clear PTO policy for your business.
Do I need one?
While most businesses are not federally required to provide PTO, having a generous policy is a great way to retain and recruit employees. In fact, 63% of job applicants say they’d turn down offers that don’t include PTO.
Plus, having a PTO policy helps reduce unscheduled absences, and employees who enjoy PTO throughout the year are less stressed, healthier, and more productive.
Makes sense. How do I actually build my policy?
You’ll have to consider your SMB’s goals and roadblocks. Start by asking yourself questions like:
We get it — writing down any policy from scratch can be intimidating. Here’s our solution: a free PTO policy template, ready for you to fill out with minor details. Easy peasy.
👉 Find out more about PTO policies.
D'OH
That’s pretty harsh.
Maybe. But the Wall Street Journal dove into the psyche of business executives and leaders and found a solid roster of reasons why this group tends to step into the metaphorical pile of dog poop with workplace misconduct. Flip through a recent spate of headlines and you’ll read about incendiary lawsuits, missteps with the media, and a whole host of questionably unethical (and illegal) activities from some of the business world’s top execs.
Well, the WSJ isn't entirely wrong.
Right. And they pinpointed five tendencies that can spiral inappropriate behavior out of control if they aren’t reigned in.
But it isn’t all doom-and-gloom. Leaders can prevent these career-ending stumbles by channeling humility, openness, and transparency in their interactions — a move that can influence the entire company’s culture.
THE POWER OF ZOOMERS
Can Gen Z make that big a difference to my bottom line?
Gen Z, AKA anyone born between the mid-90s and early 2010s, are becoming a powerful force in the global economy. If you need a reason to market to Gen Z, take your pick:
Wow. And it’s not too late to start strategizing?
Definitely not! If anything, now’s the perfect time to start appealing to Gen Z. Consider this — the youngest members of this generation are still in grade school. Think about the potential spending power they’ll have in a few years.
Meaning, your business has time to reach out and build strong brand relationships with this special group of consumers.
So where do I start?
👉 Check out more Gen Z marketing tips.
TL;DR
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