Terri Ramsey Beavers When someone talks about the minimalist lifestyle, most people assume they’re referring to a “less is more” philosophy. While that’s the main idea of minimalism, the concept extends so much further than that. It’s a mindset that promotes simplicity and freedom: the simpler things are, the freer one can be to grow, explore, and improve.
From a business standpoint, minimalism may not seem to have a place at first glance. In reality, however, the mindset can carry over to create a very successful business model. Check out these tips for bringing the minimalist mindset into your business.
- Do Your Business Online
The digital age has brought about a steady shift of online business with no sign of slowing down. To truly be “free,” you should consider doing your business online, at least in part. Find a virtual office rather than paying for a physical space, and conduct as much of your business online as possible. Again, a big part of the minimalist lifestyle is freedom, and operating your business online gives you the freedom to work from anywhere, anytime, on your terms.
- Redefine Success
The popular mindset is that success equals money. The minimalist mindset, on the other hand, defines success as freedom. Many successful business owners wonder why they are still unhappy even though they have plenty of money, possessions, and prestige.
When you begin to think of being successful as being free to enjoy life, you start to realize that having all the money in the world isn’t the goal – being happy is. From a minimalist standpoint, being successful means being able to travel and take breaks whenever you want. Life is, after all, too short to worry about the little things.
- Apply a Minimalist Mindset to Management
Managing a company and a team of employees seems like the exact opposite of what the minimalist mindset is all about. All those schedules, requirements, and calendars do not make for a freeing existence.
The good news is that there are plenty of ways you can apply a minimalist mindset to managing your company. For example, putting automated processes in place allows the business to virtually run itself. Meanwhile, delegating tasks to capable employees takes some of the responsibility off your plate. Further, allowing your employees to also work remotely improves productivity while increasing freedom.
- Streamline and Scale Down
Bigger is not always better, especially if you’re trying to adopt a minimalist approach to doing business. Growth and success can be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, you’re making money hand over fist, but on the other hand, you’re chained to your desk most of the time. There’s something to be said for taking it easy and growing slowly. Remember – to a minimalist, success isn’t measured by how much money you have but by how much freedom you have.
- Set Strict Office Hours
If you’re doing most of your business online and you allow your employees to also work from home, you are free to set office hours as you see fit. For instance, if you’re an early riser and your customers don’t need real-time attention, set your office hours in the AM and close up shop after lunch. Your time is yours, so do with it what you will.
Adopting a minimalist mindset in business is easy if you remember that freedom equals success. It’s not about how much money you make, so shift your focus to your sense of freedom and how satisfied you feel at the end of the day.