3 Ways to Maintain Work-Life Balance While Staying Connected

By Nicole Fallon, BusinessNewsDaily Staff Writer, 14-02-2014
 
In an increasingly mobile environment with a business clock that runs 24-7, small business owners who want to compete with larger companies need to be accessible and responsive, even when they're on the go. Many entrepreneurs use their smartphones and tablets to stay connected to both their customers and business partners no matter where they are.

"A lot of small businesses deal with other small businesses, so it's important to communicate when it works for both parties," said Mike Pugh, vice president of marketing at digital business solutions provider j2 Global. "It might be early in the morning, late at night, or on a lunch hour. You need to be able to take a message and access information to keep a deal in motion."
However, just because you can be reached constantly through your mobile devices doesn't mean you should be. [5 Ways to Improve Your Work-Life Balance Today]
"You should avoid being available all the time to everyone, or available to no one," Pugh told Business News Daily. "Use technology to make yourself accessible in the right ways to the right people at the right time."
Pugh offered the following mobile tech strategies to help small business owners stay accessible while still maintaining their work-life balance.

• Take your time and single-task. With online faxing and a digitized signature, you can send an important fax from anywhere while you're doing other things. But when you multitask, you're far more likely to make errors. Step away from what you're doing so you can give the business task your undivided attention.
   
• Don't take calls unless it's quiet. Projecting professionalism and seriousness is just as important as being responsive. Before you take or return an important call from a prospect while you're out of the office, make sure you're in a quiet environment first.>>>