1 | The Work Life Balance Model* (Layer 1)

Here we're introducing a framework that can clarify and connect to playing a part in something bigger than the solo business. Enjoy.

To lessen the learning curves, we’re laying the layers so that each build is built on familiar footing. Enjoy.

A common belief many buy into from the beginning in business, especially solo business, is that we are the business. This belief is both self-fulfilled and reinforced by the initial growth required in any business, suggesting that a business needs a lot of key resources such as time, money, energy, and f^#ks given (yes, a real resource required in business 😁).

We’re not denying there’s truth behind this belief. Instead, we’re saying aloud that these times of (higher than normal) resourcing required in the business is more temporary than we may have been led to believe.

Here we offer a simple idea delivered in a couple of layers so that the learning curves are little enough to last longer in the long run. Enjoy.

The Idea

(fancy) Name: The Resource Relationship Exchange Model*

(common) Name: The Work Life Balance Model*

The Purpose: To give a visual form to navigate the internal knowing to increase awareness, agency, and autonomy in running a solo business.

The Fit

As you’ll come to know in the layers that’ll be layered soon enough, we’re suggesting the world can be reduced to two simple units — resources and relationships.

Further, we’re going to show you how resources and relationships are infinitely at play in our ways and days, especially in our solo business ways and days.

Both in the initial introduction and all that follows, we’ll be building on and from the Work Life Balance Model* so that we can be clear (enough) in the connection between what we’re doing (or going to do) and the bigger picture. Enjoy.

Conversations for Context

The It’s (not) A Big Thing Podcast contains the conversations that build the context that we’re applying the Work Life Balance Model* (the model) in the context of solo business. Each time we circle back to centring the model front of mind, we’ll keep you connected by adding the conversations below. Enjoy.

41 | How we’re balancing work and life while running a solo business

42 | How mapping resources and relationships makes more sense in solo business

43 | How ai is forcing the revisit to business models…and why it’s good news for solo business

44 | How preparing business reports can (actually) frow the way we work in solo business