Many people dream of working for themselves, being their own boss, and having the freedom to only take on clients and projects they love.

What they don’t realize, though, is that there is a huge difference between building a business and being self-employed.

Business owners scale their income. Self-employed people trade dollars for hours.

Business owners leverage the skills and talents of others. Self-employed people only rely on their own skills.

Discouraged yet? Don’t be. Every business owner started out as self-employed.

Just don’t stay there.

These tips will help you build a sustainable business instead of just another job.

Don’t Try to Do It All Yourself

Building a sustainable business requires you to leverage the talents and time of others. While it might seem cost-effective and simpler to do everything yourself (especially in the start-up phase, when you have more time than money), that’s a path to stress and burnout.

Instead, separate your tasks into those that you love and are especially suited for (such as marketing), and those that you dislike or aren't very good at. Then make a solid plan to get those undesirable tasks off your list. If you feel like you can't afford to outsource it all right now, start with the things you tend to procrastinate the most, even if it's just for a few hours each month.

Don’t Allow Yourself to Work All the Time

The trouble with working at home is that you live at work, which means there’s no clear line in the sand between your work day and your home life.

Since there is always work to do, it’s easy to find yourself working during every available moment, often to the detriment of your family relationships.

You can help avoid this by:

• Setting (and maintaining) clear working hours.
• Having an office with a door you can close when you’re done.
• Scheduling time for family and other activities.
• Taking time for yourself.

Vacations and Downtime Are Important

Don’t create a business that requires you to be “in the office” every day. In the beginning, you may need to be more available, but definitely, you should be planning for the day when you can be “off the grid” for extended periods of time.

Have trusted contractors who can handle things when you’re not available.

Leverage automation tools such as Builderall autoresponders and auto-webinar systems.

Create duplicatable systems, so you’re not always reinventing the wheel.

While you might not be able to hit the road (with no internet access) for weeks at a time, at the very least, you should be able to reduce your workload to just a daily check-in.

Sound impossible? It’s not. With some forethought and planning, you can create a team (and the systems they need) to help you successfully run your Builderall business, without becoming overwhelmed and overworked.