Excerpted from an article featured in VentureBeat. Submitted by Shawn Hessinger, Community Manager of BizSugar.

Running a startup is hard. It doesn’t matter if you’re fresh out of the entrepreneurial gate, or if you have a few years’ experience under your belt – it’s grueling. To continue to grow your business, you have to hang onto your sanity. Here are a few tips to help.

Stay focused on your mission. You started this business for a reason. There was something you thought you could provide, or something you wanted to do. Take time each week to remember what that was instead of becoming consumed in the meetings, the details, the projects.

Set core work hours. While it’s okay to go on the occasional 14-hour (or more) bender, don’t make it a habit. Set core working hours like you’d have if you were working for The Man in some corner office. Give time to your business, but also give time to yourself.

Learn to manage communication. The length of your day is determined by your ability to get tasks done quickly and efficiently. A lot of that will fall on your ability to manage communications, both with the people related to your business and outsiders. Control distractions and shuttle off low-value conversations. Nip these focus-killers in the bud and you’ll get more done in your day.

Stay healthy. Running a startup will zap your energy. You need to replenish it with daily workouts to allow you to focus better, think more clearly, and get more done.

Take time off. You’re not doing your business or anyone else any good by becoming a recluse who’s over-tired and never leaves the house. Taking time to recharge, letting your brain disengage, and enjoying some new sights will maintain your passion over the long haul.

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November 2011

It’s no secret: due to economic uncertainty, many small businesses are pessimistic about what lies ahead. According to the September Vistage CEO Confidence index, 1,700 small business CEOs surveyed anticipate weak economic conditions in the year ahead. Given that there is no immediate fix to the economy, it’s important for small businesses to explore implementing practices that increase their efficiency and/or give their bottom line a boost. A few ideas follow.

Save Time With Mobile Apps. A recent report published by the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council (SBE Council) found that small businesses are saving a significant amount of time and money with mobile applications to help run their enterprises. The report revealed that the mobile apps enable small business owners and their employees to squeeze more productivity from their workweek. The use of the mobile apps is also helping small businesses reduce overhead costs, increase revenues and sales-related activity, improve competitiveness, and even to add employees. To learn more and view the entire report, click here.

Shop for Electronics and Furniture Wisely. Time is money but it’s always worthwhile to dedicate time to investigating known bargain sources for essential equipment. For example, if you need to replace or add computers, several sites to check out are www.TechBargains.com and www.BradsDeals.com, which list recent coupon codes from manufacturers and retailers. If you need to sell older computers, www.Gazelle.com buys used PCs and Macs. Other sites such as www.SmallDog.com and www.Tekserve.com buy and sell used computers. For office furniture, try www.Overstock.com for a wide selection of discounted items or www.Craigslist.com for used furniture.

Evaluate Essential Expenses. Another area to scrutinize every six months or so is telephone needs. A cell/smart phone is convenient for after-hours activity, but if you or staff spend a lot of time in the office, consider capitalizing on your internet connection and using Skype to call customers, reps or dealers for about two cents a minute. And if the image you convey by telephone has an impact on how customers and prospects view your organization, consider a virtual phone service such as Grasshopper or Ring Central to sound bigger than you are. You’ll be able to set up phone extensions for employees, an employee directory, even an automated receptionist, and use existing lines such as cell phones.

This newsletter is designed to share ideas and information proven to help small, growing enterprises. We hope you find it useful. Please circulate it as you see fit.

Liquid Capital assists growing companies with working capital solutions. If you’d like additional information about our services, call me or email me.

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*Sources for the content for this newsletter include the Small Business & Entrepreneurship Council, VentureBeat.com and Inc. magazine.