2. According to a study by The Alternative
Board, about 49 percent of entrepreneurs
work more than 50 hours a week, resulting
in limited time each week to handle
personal responsibilities and goals.
3. Fortunately, there are a number of apps and tools
on your smartphone that can help organize your
daily routine, decrease the stress of email, and —
ultimately — lead to improved work-life balance.
Try these eight tools to help you do just that!
4. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
Working for a small business, you may have odd
hours that revolve around work and family.
Instead of constantly switching between these
schedules, Cozi gives you a home base for all
scheduling needs.
Details: The Cozi app will help balance your
family and work schedules in one place. The app
has multiple handy features such as the ability to
send reminders via email or text message. It also
allows you to share your schedule with family
members or colleagues so everyone is on the
same page.
Tool: Cozi Family Organizer
I’d Like to…
Get Control Over
My Work and
Family Schedule
5. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
Instead of wasting time on distractions during
your work hours, Focusbar helps you stay on
task, so you can quickly and efficiently finish
projects. Ultimately, this will give you more free
time to start new projects or shut down earlier.
Details: Simply enter a task into Focusbar, and
a small reminder will appear on your screen
periodically, as well as each time you switch to
another window, giving you a gentle nudge to
refocus.
I’d Like to…
Stay on Task so I Can
Leave Work by 6 p.m.
Tool: Focusbar
6. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
We all have habits we wish we didn’t have, and
some we’d like to introduce into our lives. Whether
you want to start shutting off your electronics
earlier each day, or add exercise to your workday,
Way of Life will help you make it happen.
Details: The Way of Life app helps you to both
break bad habits and build new positive ones! The
app allows you to set goals, send reminders and
measure your success with eye-opening graphics
and charts.
I’d Like to…
Add Exercise
to My Workday
Tool: Way of Life
7. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
It’s important to stay on top of news that impacts
your industry. This will help you and your
business remain relevant in our fast-paced
world. Thanks to Nuzzel’s ability to curate the
most important events in your network, you
won’t waste time scrolling through unnecessary
content.
Details: The Nuzzel app curates the best news
stories shared by your friends on Facebook and
Twitter into an easily digestible format — no
more social overload.
I’d Like to…
Keep Up With
News and Friends
on Social Media
Tool: Nuzzel
8. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
In a digital world of distractions, it can be easy to
spend time on things that don’t move your
business forward or contribute to your personal
well-being. Eternity Time Log will track how
you’re spending time and suggest areas to fit in
more personal time or extra work.
Details: Find out how much time you spend
working versus how much time you spend
on personal tasks. Then adjust to become
more efficient.
I’d Like to…
Use My Time
More Efficiently
Tool: Eternity Time Log
9. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
Relationships are key to your success, and
building personal connections with clients is one
of the advantages you have as a small business.
Rapportive helps you save time by providing
social media profiles of the people you email so
you can quickly follow them, “friend” them or just
get to know more about them.
Details: This Gmail plug-in gives you intel on
colleagues or customers by displaying their
social profiles when you're having a conversation
with them via email.
I’d Like to…
Build Better
Relationships with
Clients and Colleagues
Tool: Rapportive
10. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
Calls, texts and notifications from your phone
can destroy both productivity and downtime.
Setting your phone to Do Not Disturb will ensure
you aren’t bothered when you’re trying to finish
that investor presentation or when you’re trying
to have dinner with your family.
Details: This smartphone setting sends phone
calls to voicemail and holds text messages and
notifications until you turn it off. You can also
“whitelist” certain phone numbers so you don’t
miss important calls.
I’d Like to…
Eliminate
Interruptions on
Nights and Weekends
Tool: Do Not Disturb cellphone setting
11. How It Will Change Your Work-Life Balance:
When you own a business, it can be tempting to
work 24/7, but the body and brain need
downtime. Pacifica leads you through guided
meditation and relaxation techniques that reduce
stress, sharpen your memory, and improve your
performance and attention at work and home.
Details: This app tracks your mood and
provides relaxation techniques such as
mindfulness meditations and muscle relaxation.
You can also monitor health goals and notable
thoughts or feelings you may be experiencing.
I’d Like to…
Reduce the Amount
of Stress in My Life
Tool: Pacifica
12. Advice Action Inspiration
Apps and tools can help you
create work-life balance, but
too many apps can promote
chaos in your life. If you
haven’t used an app in six
months, delete it from your
phone, computer or tablet.
Decide which area of your life
needs the most help, and
download an app that will help
you find balance today. If you’re
not sure, start with Eternity
Time Log, which will identify
where you’re spending most of
your time.
“The question I ask myself
almost every day is, ‘Am
I doing the most important
thing I could be doing?’”
— Mark Zuckerberg, founder of
Facebook