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Whether you have one employee or many, when you own a small business, knowing how to lead your team is an important part of finding success. Even experienced business owners can benefit from expanding their knowledge and improving their leadership skills. If you’re looking for better ways to lead your team, the following tips may help you better yourself as a leader, which can improve your team’s morale and increase their productivity. 

Improve your communication

Communicating with your team ensures that everyone knows your expectations. Whether you communicate in person, by email, or by text, your employees must be on the same page when it comes to daily operations. Remember, however, that communication must go both ways. Be open to suggestions and opinions from your team.

Work on your assertiveness

Small business owners, especially those who are new to being in charge, often struggle with finding a balance when it comes to assertiveness. You want your team to respect you, but it’s also important that you don’t become a difficult boss with unattainable expectations. Be open to feedback and try to look at situations from your employee’s viewpoints. You can be professional and still have a good working relationship with your employees based on mutual respect.  

Delegate appropriately

You have employees for a reason, so it’s important to allow them to do their jobs. As the owner, you are the main decision maker, but that doesn’t mean you must be involved in every little detail of operations. If you choose your team wisely, you should feel comfortable delegating the tasks that they are trained to do. Delegation allows you to focus on your role as owner while your team tackles everything else. 

Small business ownership can be rewarding. But leading others comes with challenges, especially if you’re not accustomed to being in charge. Take some time to improve your leadership skills. Focus on communication, assertiveness, and delegation as these three elements are key to running a successful small business. 

For many people, starting at a screen is an essential part of their workday. Then it’s not uncommon to end the day by scrolling through a phone or watching a TV show or movie. Screens are just a part of life, but they can cause eye strain, which can lead to headaches and other issues. If you work online and are facing eye strain from staring at your screen all day, the following tips can help you reduce strain on your eyes and prevent some of the issues associated with excessive screen time. 

What causes eye strain

Screen use related eye strain is caused by the eyes constantly focusing and refocusing on the same area over and over. This repeated movement strains your eye muscles, and it can be made worse if your work requires you to constantly switch between multiple screens or look at papers or other digital devices while you work. Eye strain can affect people in different ways. Plus, these issues can get worse with age and can affect those with already strained vision even more.

Reducing eye strain while you work

While eye strain from computer usage doesn’t generally lead to long-term effects, it can keep you from being productive. One of the best ways to reduce eye strain while you work is to take regular breaks. During these breaks, you can choose to get up and walk away from your computer for a brief period or simply turn away from your screen. If you follow the 20-20-20 rule, you should look away from your screen every 20 minutes. Look at something about 20 feet away for 20 seconds. You can also rearrange your workspace, so your screen is slightly below eye level and around 2 feet away from your face. Adjust your screen settings to a brightness and contrast level that feels more comfortable to your eyes. Blue-light filtering glasses can also help prevent many symptoms associated with eye strain. 

Using a computer for many hours a day can lead to headaches, blurred vision, dry eyes, neck pain, back pain, and many other often minor, but annoying symptoms. While these symptoms usually go away once you step away from your screen, they can prevent you from working effectively. By taking regular breaks, making changes to your workspace, and adjusting the settings on your computer screen, you can prevent many of the issues that can arise from eye strain.

Owning a business is a common dream of those who wish to be independent while making their way in the world. But being an entrepreneur can be incredibly draining. Small business owners are responsible for problem-solving and making difficult decisions that can impact themselves, their livelihoods, and their families. But entrepreneurship can also be beneficial. Many entrepreneurs find that business ownership, while challenging, has improved their mental well-being. Learn more about the benefits of small business ownership to better understand if it’s the right choice for you.

Independence is a wonderful feeling

There are many reasons why entrepreneurship is such a popular goal. However, one of the main reasons is the independence it offers. Owning a business leaves you running the show, which means you can do things how you see fit. This feeling of independence can be wonderful for your mental health if you don’t allow yourself to feel overwhelmed. Delegating when possible and outsourcing certain tasks can help you maintain control of your business while allowing you to focus on what’s most important. 

Following your vision

Owning a business means you can follow your vision and make choices on how you wish to operate. For creative types, business ownership provides an outlet for their art, music, writing, or other endeavors. For perfectionists, being an entrepreneur means that they get to decide the direction the business is heading. If you prefer to forge your own path and believe that no one holds you accountable as well as yourself, being an entrepreneur can help you meet your professional goals in a way that aligns with your beliefs and values. 

Entrepreneurs face challenges that those who work traditional jobs don’t have to deal with. However, many business owners thrive in the demanding environment that comes with being in charge. If you value your independence and prefer to do things your way, being an entrepreneur may be just what you need to improve your mental well-being.

Tax season is almost here, which can be a stressful time for many, especially those who work freelance. When you’re a freelance worker, filing your income tax return can be challenging when compared to filing when you have traditional employment. If you work solely as a freelancer, or you make extra income doing freelance work, it’s helpful to get your paperwork in order ahead of time so you can ensure you have everything you need to file before the deadline.

Important documentation

When you complete freelance work, you generally do not receive a W-2 form. Instead, your income will most likely be reported on Form 1099-MISC or 1099-NEC. If you work for various clients or have more than one income stream, you may have many 1099 forms to keep track of. Some freelance workers may also have 1099-K forms, which can come from certain types of payment providers. Consider all the work you completed in the previous year to ensure you have forms from each job to accurately report your income. Not doing so could result in legal issues with the IRS. 

Filing your tax returns

Freelance workers are considered self-employed by the IRS. This means you may be subject to paying a self-employment tax to cover Medicare and Social Security since you don’t have an employer to automatically withhold those funds. As a self-employed worker, you may be able to deduct many expenses related to your work. These may include travel expenses, costs for operating a home office, equipment costs, and other business-related expenses. If you’re unsure about where to start, consider working with an accountant. Filing taxes as a freelance worker is not always straightforward, so consulting a tax professional can relieve some of the stress associated with filing your tax returns. 

As tax season approaches, those new to freelance work may have some questions or concerns about filing their income tax returns. If you’re worried about the process, don’t hesitate to seek advice from an accountant. Otherwise, if you have your documents in order, ensure that you report all your income, and you follow the appropriate tax laws, you should have no issue filing your tax return on time, preventing legal or financial repercussions from the IRS. 

Freelance work comes with the benefits of flexibility and freedom, but freelance workers also face many challenges. If you want to be successful, you must learn to overcome these challenges. Working on your own without accountability or guidance from others can lead to problems that you must figure out how to resolve without the help you might have when working a traditional job. However, if you understand these common challenges, you can be prepared to face them head-on when they arise. 

Lack of accountability  

Freelancers are generally accountable to no one but themselves and their clients. You don’t have a manager or boss to provide guidance or constructive feedback, which means you must learn some self-awareness. Be conscious of feedback from your clients and strive to do your best with each project. As a freelancer, you must hold yourself accountable for maintaining a high standard of work.

Dealing with difficult clients

Everyone deals with difficult clients at some point in their career. Whether they’re demanding, always changing their minds, or don’t follow your established contract, as a freelancer, you must advocate for yourself when you have an issue with a client. Always remain professional but allow yourself to drop a client if the relationship isn’t working out. 

Finding steady work

One of the main challenges of freelancing is finding and keeping steady work. Nearly all freelance workers go through periods of feast or famine, which is why it’s important to plan ahead. When you have a particularly good work week or month, be sure to save some of your earnings for slower times. Don’t be afraid to branch out and look for new clients or new opportunities when you find yourself lacking steady work. You may find new clients that you can establish a long-term working relationship with.

The independence that comes with doing freelance work means you have to advocate for yourself when issues arise. Whether you’re dealing with a difficult client or you’re going through a slow work period, you’re solely responsible for facing those issues head-on. Be accountable to yourself and learn to face these common problems to improve your chances of success as a freelancer worker. 

It’s 2025 and technology is now used in nearly every part of life to simplify tasks and help people live more efficiently. Technology can also help entrepreneurs be more successful. If you’re looking for ways to increase your efficiency or expand your business, or you’re just starting out as a small business owner, consider implementing some of the latest technology tools to help you be more successful in the new year. 

Technology improves growth

Utilizing technology can increase your online visibility, making it easier for customers or clients to find you. When running a small business, you must use all available channels to reach your target market. Being reachable and providing your clients or customers with easy methods of completing online transactions can help you grow your business. As an entrepreneur, you must take advantage of these growth opportunities if you wish to stay ahead of the competition. 

Deciding how best to implement new technology

The easiest way to implement new technology is to focus on your social media presence. Create content that you can easily share over multiple platforms. You don’t have to be active on every social media platform, but you should be aware of the demographics of users for the most popular platforms and use that information to decide how best to maintain an online presence for your brand. Some entrepreneurs are embracing AI to help themselves create engaging online content, but this technology does have its flaws. If you wish to use AI content for your business, it’s important to tread carefully when using those programs to avoid the errors or misinformation that can often come from content not created by humans. 

Understand your clients or customers

Not everyone is tech-savvy, and your target market may have preferences on how they wish to interact with your business. It’s important to understand your target market and to know how they use online methods to research and make purchases. Some demographics may prefer to use certain social media apps when compared to others. By knowing how your target market engages online, you can implement the proper strategies using technology that appeals to their needs and wants. 

In today’s market, nearly everyone is online. Your clients or customers are likely to seek information through social media and other online resources when researching products or services. By maintaining an active online presence, and taking advantage of technology, you can increase your chances of success as an entrepreneur. 

If you own a small business, you may already be thinking about changing your business in the new year in hopes of becoming more successful. There are many ways to go about changing your business structure, some of which involve simply changing the thought process behind how you operate. An example of this is your level of adaptability. The business world is constantly changing. Technology updates frequently and customers’ purchasing habits can change as trends become more popular. If you learn how to adapt to these changes, you may find more success for your small business in 2025. 

Adaptability for small business owners

What does adaptability mean to small business owners? Adaptability means you’re prepared to make changes quickly without creating disruptions to your daily operations. Purchasing trends develop and disappear quickly, which is why you must be prepared to adapt to those trends if they relate to your target market. This doesn’t mean you must change successful business practices, and you certainly don’t have to adapt to every social media fad, but you should maintain an awareness of changes to your customers’ buying habits and be able to shift as those habits change. 

Fostering adaptability in your small business

To create an adaptable workplace, you must ensure your entire team is on board. You may need to alter the way you interact with your customers or clients by providing a more engaging experience. The constant use of social media means that people enjoy a personal connection with the brands they choose to work with. Other changes could involve providing new products or services to your clients or customers or marketing your business in a new way to reach a different market. 

Adaptability is an important part of finding success as a small business owner. Be prepared to make decisions quickly to stay ahead of the trends. Also, understand that adaptability may mean something different for your business when compared to other small businesses. By knowing when to change, and when to stay constant, you can adapt your business as needed to help you find success in 2025. 

A new year is an opportunity to make significant life changes. As a self-employed individual, you don’t have to make unattainable New Year’s resolutions to improve your work life. Simple changes, especially those related to your finances, can help better manage your work-related finances, which can be beneficial in the short term and help you save for long-term goals. If you wish to improve your finances in 2025, consider these money management tips which can help you get things in order in the new year. 

Plan for future expenses

Some expenses come up without warning. But for those that are anticipated, it’s helpful to start planning ahead to ensure you have the funds needed to afford large work-related expenses. You may need to upgrade equipment, hire a new employee, or make some other significant business-related change. Knowing how much these changes will cost, and knowing where the funds will come from, can prevent financial hardship.

Prepare for changes

Think ahead to anticipate any work-related changes you may need to make. Do you need to update your systems or upgrade your computers or other devices? Perhaps you need additional help to keep your business going. Many self-employed individuals find that as their business grows, they need more help in running it. These changes can be costly, but they often pay off, especially if you have the money already saved to pay for the necessities needed to keep your business running. 

Make changes to your investment strategy

There is no one-size-fits-all investment strategy that works for every individual. Depending on your risk aversion, and the amount of money you have to invest, you may need to adjust your portfolio in the new year. Working with a financial adviser can help you make changes to how you invest your money, which can increase your returns on investments, allowing you to put more funds into running your business. 

When you’re self-employed, the big decisions fall on you. As you start a new year, you may wish to make changes that will improve your business’s financial situation. Planning for future expenses, anticipating changes that need to be made, and updating your investment strategy are all ways you can make your business more financially successful in 2025.