Section Title 1

Mark Mahoney

Co-Founder & President, Jackrabbit Technologies

BALANCEWORKlife

2 Work Life Balance Work/Life Balance 3

Dedicated to those who help me live such an amazing life: my family, my business partners, and the Jackrabbit team. Without your contributions and your commitment, I would be much less effective and much more stressed. You have helped make this eBook possible.

Introduction

Chapter 1: Love what you do and do what you love

Chapter 2: Lose control to gain control

Chapter 3: Empower your employees

Chapter 4: Set work/life boundaries and obey them

Chapter 5: Don’t overstretch your capacity

Chapter 6: Continue to learn through your mentors and peers

Chapter 7: Work smarter, not harder

Chapter 8: Unplug and recharge

Chapter 9: Have serious fun

Table of Contents

4 Work/Life Balance Introduction 5

Guidelines to achieving your healthy work/life balance

Introduction

You’re a business owner and you’re an entrepreneur. It has taken lots

of sweat and probably some tears to get your business to where it is

today. All of your ideas are finally coming to fruition as a real business,

and you’ve burned lots of midnight oil to make it happen. It’s time to

turn some areas of your business operation over to those you’ve hired,

and entrust them with maintaining or perhaps even elevating the quality

of services you provide to your clients.

It really works. Most entrepreneurs never reach a work/life balance.

Many never even try because they just don’t think it’s possible for

them to do it. But if they knew the truth, they would start striving for

work/life balance immediately. It is a fact—proven by research—that

entrepreneurs who allow themselves to take part in and enjoy their

families and lives outside of work have more successful businesses

and are much happier and healthier people.

Think about this realistically. Entrepreneurs often feel that no one

else can do things “right” for their business. They won’t relinquish

responsibility for components of the business to anyone else—even

though they have taken great pains in hiring experienced and skilled

people. The smartest entrepreneurs surround themselves with people

who have skills that they do not possess to help their business reach

its greatest potential. You’re still in control. Before you stop reading

because you think this means relinquishing control, realize that none

of this means that you give up control of your business. It actually

gives you more control over where your business is really headed.

Freeing up some of your brainpower gives you the time and energy

to analyze how your business components are working together and

make improvements.

MarkMahoneyhasreapedthebenefitsofwork/lifebalanceaswellasthe company that he co-founded, Jackrabbit Technologies. He shares his insights about one of the key factors that has enabled him to do this:

“Thekeyhereishavinggoodpeopleonyourteam.Ifyouknowthatyouremployees—especiallyyourmanagers—havegoodjudgment,turningoffworkemailandallowingthemtorunthingsforafewhoursordaysisn’tsuchachallenge.Well,atleastitisn’tasmuchofachallengeafteryougetaccustomedtoit.Asentrepreneurs,noneofuswanttoletsomeoneelseholdour‘baby.’Butseeinghowwellthoseyou’vetrainedtakecharge,itbecomes more acceptable for you to give them the reins—temporarily.”

You will also spend more “quality time”—instead of just “time”—

working. Many entrepreneurs will admit that some of their hours

spent working are not exactly productive because they are just

not energized and focused on the activity that they are trying to

accomplish. Being an engaged spouse and parent also relieves the

stress that being “absent” produces and eliminates the guilt cloud

that may follow the entrepreneur during working hours. Putting some

“me” time in the schedule is also tremendously beneficial to one’s

state of mind, creativity, and decision making. A healthy leader is a

better leader.

Does this mean me? So how do entrepreneurs and business owners

know where they stand? A good baseline for the percentage of time

AneBookbyentrepreneurMarkMahoney

6 Work/Life Balance Introduction 7

that the average entrepreneur spends working is 40%. Consider how

many of the following traits you have. Doing so will help determine

how far from a healthy work/life balance you are.

• Youfindithardtodrawalinebetweenworkandpersonaltime.• Youstruggletodelegate—eventhoughyou’vehiredcompetentanddependablestaff.

• Youwantcontrolofyourfuture.• You are persistent and determined.

Because entrepreneurs are almost always guilty of these traits,

they struggle to achieve any type of work/life balance.

Work/life balance, while directly tied to business, is very personal.

One entrepreneur’s balance isn’t going to mirror another’s. An

entrepreneur can learn from how others have reached their balance

goals, but just copying another entrepreneur’s calendar won’t work.

Everything has to fit the needs and demands of each company and

each entrepreneur’s life.

Jacqueline Cornaby, life coach, founder of Jacqueline International, Inc., andEntrepreneurs’Organizationspeakerrecentlydescribedthenatureofthework/lifebalance:

“Tosuccessfullyachievebalance,thefirstthingyoumustdecideoniswhat,exactly,work/lifebalancemeansforyou.Thereasonwhysomanypeoplefinditdifficulttoachieveisbecausethey’relookingatsomeoneelse’sdefinitionandtryingtoapplythattotheirownlife.”

Work/life balance is critical in the grand scheme of things.

Companies whose leaders burn out don’t fare very well.

And burnout is more detrimental than many think because it:

• leadstomental,physicalandemotionalexhaustion,incompetenceanddoubtsaboutvaluework.

• zapsyourenergylevelandputsyouinareactiveworkmodewhereyoucanonlydealwithday-to-daydecisionsandtacticaloperations.

• leavesyounotknowinghowyouwilleverfindthetimeorenergytomakeandexecuteastrategicplanthatwillenhancewhatyourstudiooffers, andinspiregrowth.

• inspiresstress,whichalsoaffectssleephabits,whichinturnleadstounclear thinking, reactive decision making, impaired creativity and—eventually—health issues.

Impacts top to bottom. The trickle-down impact of burnout is

bad, too. The overworked entrepreneur doesn’t create inspiring

and supportive work environments for employees. This impacts

relationships with instructors and administrative staff, as well as

students and families. Eventually, this can change the dynamics

of your learning environment and your business.

This eBook provides some guidelines that are meant to assist the

entrepreneur in striking a healthy work/life balance. Work/life

balance makes entrepreneurs:

• energizedbypursuingtheirpassion.• happier because guilt about “neglecting” their families due to business

is eliminated. • less stressed because the pressure of handling everything is reduced. • feelbetteraboutwhatcanbeaccomplishedbecausetheirbusinessesarebenefitingfromtheskillsofspecificemployeesbeingappliedinthe right areas.

• feel better physically and enjoy the fruits of their labors.• re-engagewiththeday-to-dayjoysoftheirbusiness.• morerested,withtheenergytothinkstrategicallysothattheir

businesses are proactive instead of reactive.

The next nine chapters provide key how-tos for striking the proper

work/life balance. Basically, the key is to figure out where and how to

draw your line between work and family—and to abide by it. Use the

determination and persistence that are part of your entrepreneurial

spirit to make this happen.

8 Work/Life Balance

Entrepreneurs are almost always people who are not just doing what

they love but reveling in it. They have found a way to “productize”

what they love so that they can make a living at it and proceed to

spend countless hours building the business that personifies what

they love. That is you—the children’s center owner. You’re doing what

you do because you love it. You want to share it with children and

increase its popularity among them so that it continues to develop

into a bigger and better future. It isn’t just your career or livelihood—

it’s your passion. When you’re doing what you love, it rarely seems

like work. You give 110% and it shows in the results. When you do

things you don’t really love, you take on stress that works against

you. As a business owner, you can’t only do the things that you love,

but you can make sure that you carve out time for the activities that

you excel at and give you joy, and delegate the activities that make

you struggle.

Doing what you love also allows you to focus, and when you focus,

real work gets done.

Being at work doesn’t necessarily mean that work is actually

“getting done.” Delegating helps your business by having

highly-skilled and committed people focused on what they do best.

AnotherthoughtsharedfromJacquelineCornaby:“Work/lifebalanceisnotadestination—it’sajourney.Inthosemomentswhereworkorlifeseemsoverwhelming,remembertopauseandtakeabreath.Makeit a point to schedule mindful moments in your daily calendar, and let yournewfoundbalancebecomeamodelforyourworld,bothinlifeandenterprise. At the end of the day, you have a choice: Make a living or design a life.”

Love what you do and do what you love

Chapter 1

Love what you do and do what you love 9

“When you’re doing what you love, it rarely seems like work.

You give 110%and it shows in the results. Doing what you love also allows you to focus, and when you focus, real work gets done.”

Related article of interest:

“Why Entrepreneurs Do What They Do” | Inc.com

10 Work/Life Balance

Your time is valuable, so be sure to consider that when you look

at the tasks that dominate your time. Ask yourself the following

question: Who in the organization can do this task more cost-

effectively than me? Maximize your time by delegating, to help

your business be more cost efficient. You’ll probably have to warm

up to delegating, since it doesn’t come naturally to entrepreneurs.

Typically, you want to control everything, but it is time to let go. Try

limited or prioritized tests with delegating until you’re satisfied with

the results, and then delegate everything in a task-oriented way that

doesn’t require your attention. Because you’re still overseeing results,

you’re still in control and engaged in the way your business operates.

To successfully delegate, you must:

• document the process, including the purpose of the task, step-by-step procedures,andtheexpectedresults.

• require periodic results reporting so you can verify that the task is being done in a timely and accurate manner.

• mentorthosewhoaretakingonnewtaskstohelpimprovetheirresults.

Delegating, by its very definition, means that you are entrusting

something to someone. If you’re doing this, then you’ve already

developed a comfortable level of confidence in your employees’

judgment and their abilities. So by the time you actually make

delegation happen, their capabilities shouldn’t be a concern.

Your concern will be your ability to let go.

When you finally delegate, your brainpower can be used for the real

nitty gritty stuff that will make a strategic difference in your center.

Gymnasticsfacilityownerandindustryleaderandspeaker,RandallSikora,isenjoyinghisownlevelofwork/lifebalanceandnoteswhatrisesto the top as keys to this adventure for him:

“Recruithighenergy,achievement-mindedpeoplethatcomplimentyou.Thiswayyoucandelegateeverythingyoudon’tpassionatelyenjoydoingtosomeonethatthrivesoffcompletingthosetasks.Yourlistof“to-do’s”should be short, meaningful and impactful in driving your life in the direction that makes your soul sing.”

Delegation isn’t just good for you, it’s also empowering for your staff,

because delegating tasks to them shows that you’ve developed trust

in them. They become more confident, perform better, and need

less hands-on managing. As a result, you become a better owner,

because you’ve managed to pull yourself out of the weeds and

look at your business’ long-term path.

Lose control to gain control

Chapter 2

Lose control to gain control 11

“Typically you want to control everything; it’s time to let go.”

Related article of interest:

“WhyAren’tyouDelegating”|TheHarvardBusinessReview

12 Work/Life Balance Empower your employees 13

Coaching and mentoring helps you empower your employees.

They are also helpful tools in establishing your comfort level

with delegating. Effective, consistent, and ongoing coaching and

mentoring can improve productivity and staff engagement, help

with staff integration and confidence, and improve learning and

development, often in both directions.

Coaching is generally proactive, short-term, and structured

to achieve specific objectives that are usually related to work

performance. Mentoring tends to be more reactive and often takes

the form of discussions after actions. It is more of an ongoing

process, with a mentor who listens, offers advice and makes

suggestions. Mentoring is more focused on employee development

rather than coaching, which is more goal-specific.

Mentoring can also be enlightening for the mentor. Sharing with

someone else helps you to organize and articulate what is valuable

and effective, and reminds you of what you expect, not only from

your team, but from yourself.

There are three obvious benefits to be enjoyed by your business

when your employees are empowered:

• Improvedproductivityandreducedcosts.Empoweredemployeesareexcitedandenergizedabouttheirroleintheorganizationandtakemorepride in doing their job better. Their success is personally tied to the organization’ssuccess.

• Bettercustomerservice.Empoweredemployeestakeownershipofrolesandcareaboutcustomersasiftheywereowners.Theircommitmentisobvious to customers and makes customer satisfaction soar.

• Employeesembracechange.Empoweredemployeeshavetheconfidencetomakechangesthatwillhelptheorganization.Theycanstepoutsidetheircomfortzone,becausetheyunderstandthevaluetheyaddto theorganization.

Empower your employees

Chapter 3

“Mentoring can also be enlightening for the mentor. Sharing with someone else

helps you organize and articulates what is valuable and effective.”

Related article of interest:

“8TipsforEmpoweringEmployees”|Inc.com

14 Work/Life Balance Set work/life boundaries and obey them 15

Don’t be wishy-washy. Set real rules about your own hours and

what time you will “close” your home office. You will also need to

establish how “accessible” you will be outside of those hours. Of

course, there are exceptions when you will have to work late or be

more accessible. But the key is that these times remain exceptions

and not the rule. Remember that if you don’t have “down time,” you

aren’t as productive during “work time.”

This may be difficult to do, because you feel that the expectations

that you and others have about your accessibility are not in sync—

or they just aren’t reasonable. But the fact is that no matter how

committed you are to making your center successful, no one

can fit 100 hours of work into a 40 hour work week. So you have

to stop trying. Once you have developed the confidence that

your expectations are in check, you can make changes and set

boundaries in a respectful, constructive manner, that help you

establish a more balanced existence.

When you have established your rules, obey them. If you are going

to limit the hours that you will answer your cell phone for business

calls, don’t go beyond those limits on a regular basis. If you do, there

is no real reason to have them. This can be difficult if you’ve previously

been your business’s sole resource, but it is critical to establishing team

members’ roles and in even beginning to strike your work/life balance.

Once you are over the initial shock of not answering your phone at

every conceivable hour, you will find that you can decide when you will

and won’t be engaged in work.

Set work/life boundaries and obey them

Chapter 4

“But the fact is that no matter how committed you are to making your center successful, no one can fit

100 hours of work into a 40 hour work week. So you have to stop trying.”

Related article of interest:

“StopWorkOverloadbySettingTheseBoundaries”|CEO.com

16 Work/Life Balance Don’t overstretch your capacity 17

When you and your staff are at capacity, maybe the best thing is to

say “no” to whatever it is that will throw your business out of kilter.

After all, at that point, you wouldn’t be performing at your best.

And why risk your reputation over it?

Whether you’re saying “no” to adding new classes, activity options,

or even participating in community service programs, if you cannot

do what you want to do well, do not do it.

In fact, overextending is one of the mistakes that kills many small

businesses, so do everything you can to avoid it. And what is good

for your business is good for you, because you will suffer as much as

your business does from overextension.

Overstretching your capacity can cause the quality of your learning

opportunities and your customer service to suffer, and that will

tarnish your reputation. Good reputations take a long time to build

and a quick second to ruin. Don’t risk it. You will be better off to wait

until the time is right for you to take on more!

Growth is a good thing when it is planned for and when it is done

with the appropriate goals in mind. One good practice for those

times when you feel that a particular activity or initiative is “out-of-

bounds” is to ask yourself why you’re doing it. Your goals should

correlate to what your mission is and adhere to your core values.

Don’t overstretch your capacity

Chapter 5

“Overextending is one of the mistakes that kills many small businesses, so do everything you can do to avoid it. What is good for your business is good for you, because you will suffer as much as your business does from overextension.”

Related article of interest:

“SmallBusinessAdvice:HowtoPrepareYourCompanyNowforPotentialGrowthLater”|TheWashingtonPost

18 Work/Life Balance Continue to learn through your mentors and peers 19

Talk to others in your industry using forums or events like user

conferences or trade shows. Learning from others who have been

in situations similar to yours is one of the most valuable experiences

you can have. There are also professional organizations outside of

your industry—for business owners and entrepreneurs—that have

core learning programs that are based on shared experiences.

Even though you may be a mentor to your younger staff members,

you can also have a mentor. Regardless of where you find him

or her, become a participant in a mentoring relationship. Find

someone more experienced than you in your industry, or a business

person who has had successes similar to what you’re seeking, and

understands your goals, challenges, strengths, weaknesses, and

stress points. You know a tiny amount of the potential knowledge

that is out there for you to learn from others who are walking in

shoes similar to yours. There are people who have done what you

are trying to do and have been in situations that you are sure to face.

Gleaning lessons from their experiences is one of the most valuable

interactions you can have.

As a mentor, you gain a lot, too. You are challenged to stay on top

of your game and expand your knowledge as your younger, less

experienced employees look to you for guidance.

Mentoring inspires improvement. Your employees will progress at

a more rapid pace—and so will your business. You’ll see greater

productivity as your employees not only feel valued by your showing

an interest in their betterment, but they will also work differently,

because they want to contribute to the organization’s success.

Continue to learn through your mentors and peers

Chapter 6

“Even though you may be a mentor to your younger staff members, you can also

have a mentor.Regardless of where you find him or her, become a participant in a mentoring relationship.”

Related article of interest:

“WhyYouShouldMentor—AndHowtoDoIt”|Forbes.com

20 Work/Life Balance Work smarter, not harder 21

Step back from what you’re trying to accomplish in order to consider

new ways that you can get things done. Work smarter, not harder.

Think outside the box and use innovative tools and technologies

to make your business better.

There are lots of software systems out there that can help your

center get more done in less time and with greater accuracy,

without stressing your human resources. There is technology that

can get your parents to do work for your staff—and make them feel

awesome about it. There are also tools that can give you a view into

your business—even if you aren’t in the office—so you can travel

and still be in sync with your center. Don’t be afraid of technology

or overwhelmed by processes and automation. You can monitor

numbers and be aware of alerts without being engaged in tasks and

customers. You can be in sync without being engaged. Embrace

what can help you be the best you can be.

Do the little things that help you get better organized and get more

done in less time.

Like what, you may ask? I really mean little things. And these are the

little things that can make a difference.

Make lists (like a “to don’t” list), carry a notebook and a pen (or make

notes on your iPad), have opening and closing rituals for your day,

respond quickly to emails and calls, are just some examples.

These don’t seem significant, but they can bring order to a day that

would otherwise be chaotic, and help you to get through it all without

the wheels flying off your wagon. You may surprise yourself and

actually get things done, in spite of others’ chaos.

And once you’re successful at this, you can share the secret with those

who are creating chaos around you.

Work smarter, not harder

Chapter 7

“Don’t be afraid of technology or overwhelmed by processes and automation. You can be in sync without being engaged.”

Related article of interest:

“WorkSmarterNotHarder:17GreatTips”|Time.com

22 Work/Life Balance Unplug and recharge 23

You need time to rejuvenate and generate energy to take on your

next day. It is important to make time to do it, because, in all

likelihood, it won’t just happen for you. Really unplug—weekly, and

on special occasions. Maybe you prefer to totally unplug on holidays

or family birthdays, or every Friday night for pizza and a movie, or on

family vacations. It is okay to embrace solitude and let someone else

be responsible for your business for awhile.

In your previous stressed and unbalanced life, you probably set

unrealistic expectations by being too accessible—answering emails

at 10 p.m. on Friday night or returning edits on documents at 3 a.m.

Don’t allow this to continue, or your expectations will continue to be

out of whack.

If you’ve hired good people and done a good job at delegating, this

will not be difficult for them. It may be difficult for your controlling

tendencies to allow you to let go. Once you’ve done this, however,

you will understand its importance and even become more

comfortable with it.

This doesn’t apply to just vacations. What about your work day? Do

you stay at your desk and munch on a granola bar so you can plow

through your inbox and try to clean it out? You’re working against

yourself and research proves it. Many studies show that people are

more productive at work when they don’t eat at their desks, but

instead take a lunch break and return to their work feeling refreshed.

When you do this mistakes are reduced, thoughts are more clearly

expressed, and new ideas are born.

Don’t feel that you’re less driven, neglecting your responsibilities, or

that your employees will think you’re not as committed if they see

you taking a break. Even the most energetic and focused individuals

need a few minutes to clear their heads, rest their eyes, and shake

out their shoulders.

Unplug and recharge

Chapter 8

“If you’ve hired good people and done a good job at delegating, this will not be difficult for them. It may just be difficult for your controlling tendencies to allow you to

let go.”

Related article of interest:

“RechargeYourBatteries:3Steps”|Inc.com

24 Work/Life Balance Have serious fun 25

Enjoy a hobby. Carve out some “me” time. Take the time for self-

improvement activities and personal growth. Get into something that

allows you to express yourself—a sport, special interest, or charity.

Just make sure that these activities don’t take time away from your

family. They will actually help you grow personally, and be a better

spouse, parent, teacher, boss, and business owner.

Act silly with your kids at Disney World. Check some items off of

your bucket list. You can’t get these years back, so it is important

to your family to be engaged. Discover and accept your value and

your role in the lives of your family members and in the lives of your

employees and customers. Work/life balance allows you to offer the

best of “you” to them.

RheeGold,publisherofDanceStudioLifenotedthefollowinginarecentarticle entitled “Time vs. Money”: “Think of time as having value, and manageyourtimetomaximizethatvalue.”HecitesaquotebyM.ScottPeck,authorofTheRoadLessTraveled,andcontinues,“Untilyouvalueyourself,youwon’tvalueyourtime.Untilyouvalueyourtime,youwon’tdoanythingwithit.”

Don’t make it into your 40s and realize that you don’t know your

own kids. It’s too late then. What’s sad about someone who falls

into this trap, is that it didn’t have to be this way to have a successful

business. In fact, this person who is guilt-ridden and memory-less

would have had more success if they had taken the time to be

involved and present with their family.

Have serious fun

Chapter 9

“Discover and accept your value and your role in the lives of your family members—and in the lives of your employees and customers. Work/life balance allows you to offer

the best of ‘you’ to them.”

Related article of interest:

“AnEntrepreneurwithaFamily?Something’sGottaGive”|TheGlobeandMail

26 Work Life Balance Work/Life Balance 27

Even though you make the choice about

how much time to commit to work, it just

may not be the best thing for you or your

business. Striking a balance for both you and

your business is intertwined with the other.

In these chapters, I hope that I have provided

some guidance that can help you figure

out how to find your own balance. It will be

totally yours—and if it’s anything like what

happened to me in striking my own work/life

balance—it will be totally life changing.

About the Author

Mark Mahoney President & Co-Founder of Jackrabbit Technologies

Mark Mahoney founded Jackrabbit Technologies

in 2004 with his business partner and co-founder,

Mike Carper. Mark’s passion for solving business

problems with technology led him to build a

Software-as-a-service company, to serve the

needs of children’s activity centers and to seek

out a partner with which he could share the joys

and challenges of entrepreneurship. Mark is a

serial entrepreneur whose career began with the

development of Class Master, a class management

system. After selling Class Master, Mark was

overwhelmed by interest from customers in another

management system and began work building

Jackrabbit Technologies. As Jackrabbit’s President

and believer in the power of work/life balance,

Mark has written articles and been interviewed on

the topic, including a recent interview with Forbes

for the article by Louis Efron entitled “Creating Life

Balance to Achieve Success.”

Summary