Who here has some bad habits worth breaking?

Don’t be shy, I think it’s safe to say we all do!

It’s easy to focus on the new things you should start doing for your business but it’s equally important to look at what you can stop doing to help your business thrive. Here’s a list of five bad business habits every youth activity center owner should consider breaking right now.

Top 5 bad business habits to break

1. Stop using electronics to work in bed

It’s the end of a long day and you’re exhausted in bed, but your mind won’t stop running a mile a minute thinking about your to-do list. So what do you do? Grab your device of choice and start working.

I get it. When a cloud-based class management solution makes it super convenient to get work done anywhere and anytime, it’s tempting to sit up in bed working all hours of the night, just to check off one more to-do before calling it a day. This bad business habit can lead to burnout and leave you wondering where your career stops and your personal life begins.

Tip: Set a maximum length of time during which you’ll complete any work in the evenings and communicate that to your staff. Once you hit your time limit, or you satisfy your racing mind, you’re done for the night!

2. Identify yourself as an entrepreneur first

Whose idea was it to start a unique swim school, gymnastics program, or dance studio in your community? Oh yeah, yours! You had the vision to bring something unique and needed to your community so don’t do yourself the disservice of thinking of yourself as only a teacher or coach. Reclaim your identity as a visionary and an entrepreneur and unlock your potential again. Both are awesome titles, so wear them with pride.

With this mind shift, you may find yourself looking into parts of your business that are less exciting than teaching children, such as financial reporting and enrollment growth strategies to name a few. If neither of these are your forte, don’t fret. You’re the boss, which means you can lean on the expertise of other staff members who may be more passionate in these areas.

Of course, you need a comprehensive class management solution with a built-in reports suite to help you deliver financial reports when needed and analyze enrollment growth opportunities. Partner with us today!

30-days free with Jackrabbit Class

3. Stop saying ‘yes’ all the time

What happens when you say ‘yes’ too much as a business owner? You can over-commit and under-deliver to yourself and to your customers.

While being able to knock out a bunch of tasks is never a bad thing, one thing that will cast you in a negative light with your staff and customers is over-promising and not being able to follow through with those promises.

Tip: It is far better to under-promise and over-deliver, every time. And if you feel the need to say ‘yes’ when you feel like saying no, always ask for the assistance of your staff. 

4. Focus more on the positive than the negative

It’s inevitable that something will go wrong sometime throughout your workday, week, month, or year. Whether the wrong class schedule was sent to a class, your website crashed during open enrollment, or a new staff member accidentally charged an incorrect tuition amount, every youth activity center owner has to deal with the negative side effects of what went wrong.

As the person who people look to for guidance, it’s important to remember to stay positive. Yep, let those negative thoughts go, Elsa.

Tip: If you hold onto those negative thoughts, instead of focusing on more positive parts of your day, you risk transferring those negative vibes onto your office staff, teachers, students, and parents.

5. Stop ignoring your company’s core values

Core values represent the fundamental beliefs your business is based upon. Each value should guide the way you conduct business and build relationships with your customers.

Ignoring these guiding principles can result in losing focus of why you opened your youth activity center in the first place– to share your passion with children in your community.

Break these bad habits today, (infographic)

How to be a better business owner

What comes to mind when you think of the big players in your industry? You know, those businesses that seem to have it all figured out no matter what comes their way.

Regardless of if it’s a dance studio, gymnastics gym, or child care facility, chances are they all have one thing in common – great leadership. All successful businesses need strong leaders to steer the ship. And while there’s no secret recipe to becoming a great leader, there are some steps you can take that will make you both a better business owner and leader:

• Take care of yourself. No, really. Take time each day to think about how you are really feeling – physically and mentally. Make time in the day to reinvest in yourself with activity or alone time that is just for you.
• Spend a few minutes each day taking stock of your work-life balance. Is it where you want it to be? If not, start a list of things you can delegate or reprioritize.
• Stay committed to future planning. Where do you want to be personally and professionally in 1 year, 3 years, 5 years? Write down your goals and revisit them often. Are you staying on track?
• Hold yourself accountable for being organized. If you’ve got a system in place to keep your business processes up-to-date, you’ll find yourself less stressed and more productive.

Discover more ways to become a better leader and strengthen your business in our upcoming webinar, 5 Tips to Hitting Your Growth Groove, airing soon!

Save your spot for the webinar!