How do you know which tasks are important and which are urgent - or do you run your business by the seat of your pants, along the line of 'it is URGENT' all the time?

One way to overcome the problems you are facing is to draw on the experience of other successful Micro and HBB, then you will not have to go through the same pain and stress that they did.

I struggled with this problem, but discovered a solution which I have been sharing with Micro and HBB operators for the last 10 years. Government has even invited me to sit on committees to help them understand the problems all Micro/HBB businesses have to tackle.

The struggle we face when 'we are our business' means we have to make our product (or deliver our services); complete the filing; answer the phone; do our marketing; conduct research; keep our records up to date; develop our website; communicate with our clients etc. etc., and often we are not sure if we are doing it correctly or not. Well, there is a way to get it 'right' from the start and to ensure you remain on track.

The solution is simple, but initially you do have to trust others and approach business with the philosophy of 'what can I do for you'. The solution is this:- tap into the skills and expertise of other business operators to guide and advise you, based on their experience. Then you will learn how to handle both the important and the urgent tasks and you won't just save time by reducing your effort - you will also reduce stress and eliminate much of the risk in running your business.

Find a mentor or a group of business operators prepared to form an advisory panel for you and your business. It is not as hard as you think - people like to help newcomers and those struggling. If you are too unsure of yourself at first - join a good Internet Forum where experts will respond to your questions and help you solve problems online.

Remember - if you don't take advantage of what others are prepared to share with you, you will continue to put in a massive effort with possible mediocre results; the stress level of your day to day activities will not alter; the current risk level of your business failing, will remain high; you will continue to struggle to fit everything into your limited time and your business will control your life - instead of you controlling it!