Entrepreneurs urged to look after their health

Start-up entrepreneurs need to prioritise their health and home life if they want to succeed, according to a leading business coach.

Deb Templar, who heads The Templar Group, says maintaining good health and striking a work-life balance has a direct impact on your business.

Earlier this week, the Australia Institute released a study showing one in four people are too busy to make a doctor’s appointment.

The poll of 1360 people revealed almost half believe work stops them from exercising, while 35 per cent say it prevents them from eating healthy meals.

Templar says start-ups are even more inclined to compromise their health as they work around the clock to establish and grow their business.

“For start-ups, it’s really important that they set their work hours. Women do tend to make the time and certainly the young mums do because they’ve got other schedules that they have to fit in and around,” Templar says.

“But a lot of entrepreneurial men, who are drivers and business builders, feel that the harder they work, the better the result.”

“It’s not about working harder – they need to work smarter. They’re mistaking busyness for productiveness.”

Templar says start-ups are in control of the guidelines of their business, and therefore need to have set business hours which are made clear to customers.

“One of the worst things is today’s technology. People have made themselves available for 24 hours,” she says.

“When I first started in business, I trained my clients by reiterating, you can call me anytime you like from 8am to 6pm.”

“If you call me outside of those hours, leave a message and I’ll get back to you the next day. Even if they send me emails or texts, I do not respond until the next day.”

Melanie Walker, deputy chief executive of the Public Health Association, says the all-hours approach to work is concerning.

“If these things are happening, it has an impact on people’s long-term health and their ability to prevent the onset of serious illness.”