One of the key reasons that delegates cite about getting into aesthetics is the hope of improving work life balance.
Working your own business means that you are answerable primarily to yourself in terms of what you do and when you do it. That means that you can plan your own schedule – when not to work as well as when you are going to be busy with clients. So if you need to be at the school sports day or enjoy a long lunch with friends, in principle, you can!
Of course once the novelty wears off, work life balance can present some unique challenges. You don’t want to have too much downtime enjoying yourself as that might mean you’re not seeing enough clients to make it pay. Equally, you don’t want to be so busy that you can’t take time out to enjoy it.
In reality work life balance is quite hard to achieve – and all the more so when it’s your own business, as the lines between work and life become quite blurred. Your business and your work is part of your life and you bring elements of life into your work too. Hours can be irregular – rather than 9-5, you may well want to work evenings and weekends if that’s when your clients are free. And of course you’ll always be on call for emergencies.
We’ve put together some advice on how to manage work life balance, aimed at giving you the best of both.
1. Plan Your Time
Creating some kind of weekly timetable is a great way to ensure you are in charge of how you spend your time. It may well look different to working in the public health sector, but you’re free to make the rules. If you’re working Saturday, why not have Monday off? If you are working Wednesday night, why not take the morning off? It’s up to you how many hours you work, but ensure you leave some time for the business of managing the business as well (i.e. accounts and paperwork).
2. Daily Priorities
Then plan each day – write a quick list of things that must be done in the morning and ensure they’re done. If you prefer a more high-tech approach, there are plenty of apps available for planning work and managing tasks, but failing that, a calendar/diary and notebook will suffice.
3. Set Limits
Don’t be tempted to work 60 hour weeks – that is not a good balance for anyone. You don’t want to burn out.
Equally it is important to create boundaries between your work and home life, so while you do need to be flexible, it’s good advice to try and stick to your working hours where possible.
Consider having a separate phone or separate number for work, so that you can separate the two.
4. Be Healthy
Take some time out to exercise. Booking a workout or meeting a friend for a gym/swim gets you out of the office/clinic AND keeps you fit and well for work. It’s easy to forget to look after yourself if you’re busy, but this is one of the perks you signed up for.
5. Be Flexible
As a business owner, the buck does stop with you. So be prepared for your planning to be derailed from time to time.
But embrace the positives that this brings – you can treat yourself to an afternoon off whenever you like!
6. Get Backup
Remember, you’ll need to be contactable in case a client has an emergency, or else have a backup plan. Having someone nearby who’ll help out with issues if you’re away is a great idea and many practitioners find that networking with others in the area can be a real asset.
7. Dedicated Workspace
Having a separate area for work helps to keep it apart from ‘real life’. If you’re running clinics from home, create a separate space that feels and looks professional for your clients, then you can close the door at the end of the day. Try and create an office space too – whether it’s a spare room or just a desk area with space for your files. Having work spaces is really important to being organised and in control.
8. Delegate
Knowing where to delegate is a key business skill. If you’re investing time in the business, can you free yourself up by paying someone else to do the support tasks? Whether it’s childcare or cleaning, accounts or marketing; there are many people just like you who are running their own businesses and would value the work.
Networking for Medical Professionals
SkinViva Training delegates benefit from membership of our Trainee Network on Facebook.
This is a closed group where people who’ve attended our training courses are able to ask questions and share advice on a range of issues from lead generation and marketing to specific clinical queries.
It’s a great forum for meeting like-minded professionals and building up an invaluable network of support.
Many delegates join the network after completing the Foundation BOTOX® & Dermal Fillers and are able to take advantage of invaluable support and advice from experienced practitioners as they commence their careers.
SkinViva Training Academy Manchester
SkinViva Training Ltd offer a range of professional training courses for cosmetic and medical skin treatments. Their courses in cosmetic treatments directed at suitably qualified medical professionals* who wish to learn and build on their skills in delivering these procedures (*subject to meeting SkinViva Training’s entry criteria).
See our full list of forthcoming training course dates.
SkinViva Training Academy was established in 2013 by Dr Tim Pearce MBChB BSc (Hons) MRCGP. The SkinViva Training Academy team upholds high standards of clinical training providing a combination of fully-supervised practical experience together with essential theory.
For further information, to discuss which course is right for you, to enquire about availability or to book a training course please call 0161 850 2491, or email info@skinvivatraining.com.
