Stefan Töpfer
CEO & Chairman of WinWeb
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I'm passionate about very small business, it's positive impact on personal lives and for local communities. Reducing small business failure is my aim and
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Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business




In the past twenty years the term “work-life balance” has come to symbolize the problem many face with increasing work pressures and the neglect of family, friends and their hobbies. This has created not only many health problems like cardiovascular disease, a weaker immune system, frequent headaches, backache to name but a few, but also social problems in areas like child-care, care for relatives, increase in divorces and other symptoms of a social fabric breakdown.

For women the situation is even worse, not only do they have all of the above mentioned problems, but by making the conscious decision to raise a family they also have to pay a penalty when the return to work. However well qualified, after only 3 to 5 years on parent leave, they find it very hard to get even close to the positions they held before. They are penalized for having a family and this causes additional stress and anxiety.

In the last ten years I have watched an encouraging trend, people opting out of the corporate treadmill, with much success. Many are starting small businesses or home businesses, freelancers, self-employed, contractors, professionals in all small business areas setting up shop.

The reasons for this are quite predictable:

  • No safe employment environment, even in big corporations.
  • Desire to look after kids, family or friends.
  • Deliberate choice to live with less consumerism.
  • Have a more flexible work environment, to suit ones needs better.

Subsequently, for me at least, the “work-life balance” has entered into a new phase, Work-Life Balance 2.0 if you like. No only are the above mentioned facts important, but now the participants in this work-life revolution are far more focused on their life and the choices they make, more demands are actively pursued even in the home working or small office environment, to maximize financial results while optimizing the work-life balance:

  • Focus on core business competence,
  • Outsourcing techniques even for the smallest of businesses,
  • Independence and freedom of workplace and time constraints,
  • Environment issues are beginning to be a important lifestyle choice too,
  • Private priorities often dominate over work priorities.

In this new established work-life environment, family - especially children, health, environment and personal fulfillment are beginning to transform the way we all think about work. I foresee long needed changes in the social fabric of our society and the reversal of detrimental trends which have started in some cases over 150 years ago.

As more and more people work from home, it is no longer necessary to move to the big city to earn a living and pay inflated prices for the privilege. It is quite feasible to work from anywhere, even from a parents home, if need be. This will not only deal with problems for the younger generation to get onto the “property ladder“, but may in time re-establish the multi-generation household with all it’s social benefits of care for the elderly, or supervision of children by grandparents, while the parent is in the “home-office” earning a living.

These changes may also prove beneficial for local communities, as more business potential will return to rural areas. Local shops and businesses will receive new business revenue and local communities will begin to prosper again.

We no longer use our work environment as our social-interaction-generator, our organically grown social networks will embed us all into functioning local social infrastructures, which are so important for our mental well being.

When I built my first 64 kbits Frankfurt - New York IP-network in the early nineties - I was ecstatic and I knew things where about to change, I had no idea exactly how much they would change, because of what I and many others around the world were doing. The internet, broadband, web-applications and cheaper computer hardware have enabled users to work from anywhere, enabled software developers like us to develop our Small Business Infrastructure, enabling small business in every corner of the developed and even in parts of the third world to run a small business effectively. This in turn is the reason for the phenomenal and explosive growth in small business activity we have been witnessing of the past decade.

We still have challenges ahead of us, like our political leaders need to do more than try and convince us all that the current up-turn in small business activity is due to their intervention, nothing could be further from the truth, IMO. They need to remove the red-tape barriers for small business and start-up business, like SOHO-, SME, SMB-, Micro-, Lifestyle-, Home-, DIY-, Hobby-, Boomer- or Personal business, like professional, contractors, freelancers, self-employed, sole-trader and virtual assistants, and with this allow anyone to participate in the working cycle, no matter how many hours someone is willing to work. The self-employed status has to be supported, just imagine the untapped work and intellectual resources, excluded from the work process by short sighted red-tape. Our economy has invested in the education of us all, only to exclude some parents or even disabled people from contributing to our economy.

It is my belief that we are just at the beginning of this trend and that most of the participants will enjoy a much better work-life balance, which will result in happier and more fulfilling social environments.

That is my vision for the future, what is yours? ST.

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24 Responses to “Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business”

  1. Work-life wisdom from across the pond : The Journal Blog
    http://www.microenterprisejournal.com/JournalBlog/2007/10/03/work-life-wisdom-from-across-the-pond/


    Said on

    […] Töpfer over at the Small Business Blog made a wonderful post yesterday about work-life balance and […]

  2. Shama Hyder
    http://www.AfterTheLaunch.com


    Said on

    This is absolutely great Stefan. I love your concept of Work-Life Balance of 2.0.

  3. Stefan Töpfer
    http://www.winweb.com


    Said on

    Hi Sharma,

    Thank you for your comment, had a look at your blog and loved it.

    ST.

  4. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Bookkeeping for Small Business
    http://www.sme-blog.com/small-business/accounting/bookkeeping-for-small-business


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  5. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Work-Life Balance Is Shifting!
    http://www.sme-blog.com/comments/work-life-balance-is-shifting


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  6. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » The Week Ender: Do you have RED on Monday?
    http://www.sme-blog.com/comments/the-week-ender-do-you-have-red-on-monday


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  7. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Ethics And Small Business
    http://www.sme-blog.com/comments/ethics-and-small-business


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  8. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » The Week Ender: Why Small Business is so important.
    http://www.sme-blog.com/comments/the-week-ender-why-small-business-is-so-important


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  9. Ian Wilson

    Said on

    Crime is a part of our lives. I remember back in the 80’s where I used to leave the front doors of my business open and feel safe. We run a small accountancy office in Telford and over the past ten years or so we have seen crime increase.

    We have been targeted before and our business in the heart has suffered leaving us no option other than to take the move and research in surveillance and various options.

    Having looked into the options we have decided to purchase the Interwatch Security system. This type of surveillance is so advanced and allows us to be able to view our business remotley, from your PC and even our mobile phone. Should our camera pick up motion we are sent an email, SMS and phone call - which is great for us.

    Well don Interwatch Security!

    Ian Wilson

  10. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Ready To Retire Right Now? Find Out If It’s Time To Quit The Rat Race
    http://www.sme-blog.com/comments/ready-to-retire-right-now-find-out-if-it%e2%80%99s-time-to-quit-the-rat-race


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  11. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Q & A: Why is it a problem if I do not want to grow my business?
    http://www.sme-blog.com/how-to/not-to-do-it/q-a-why-is-it-a-problem-if-i-do-not-want-to-grow-my-business


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  12. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Observations on Life
    http://www.sme-blog.com/comments/observations-on-life


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  13. Carnival of Money, Growth and Happiness #21 | Credit Card Lowdown
    http://www.creditcardlowdown.com/2007/10/carnival_of_money_growth_and_happiness_21.html


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    […] Töpfer presents THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG: Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business posted at THE SMALL BUSINESS […]

  14. Business Success Link Love - 10/29/07
    http://floatlikearock.com/business-success-links-10-29/


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    […] Töpfer presents THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business posted at The Small Business […]

  15. E3 Success Blog » Blog Archive » E-3 Carnival of Health and Wellness - October 29, 2007
    http://e3successsystems.com/blog/2007/10/30/e-3-carnival-of-health-and-wellness-october-29-2007/


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    […] Töpfer presents THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business posted at The Small Business […]

  16. My E-Commerce
    http://ecommerze.blogspot.com/2007/11/electronic-commerce-blog-carnival-2nd.html


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    Electronic Commerce - Blog Carnival (2nd November

    Welcome to the November 2, 2007 edition of electronic commerce. (Vol 1, No. 4, 2007)

  17. The Boring Made Dull
    http://boringmadedull.blogspot.com/2007/11/economics-and-social-policy-xxxvii.html


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    Economics and Social Policy - XXXVII

    archives submit postWelcome to the November 8, 2007 e …

  18. THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » New Small Business Startup Idea: Virtual Import/Export Assistant
    http://www.sme-blog.com/small-business/virtual-assistants/new-small-business-startup-idea-virtual-importexport-assistant


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    […] Enhance Your Work-Life BalanceHave it all your way - family, friends, work and most of all a life! […]

  19. Celia Hyde
    http://www.invisiserve.com


    Said on

    I recently read a study by Hewlett Packard which found companies that gave their staff the option to work flexibly increased productivity by up to 400 per cent. The study used two pre-designed “offices” one of which insisted their workers stay at their desks and the other allowing staff to use mobile technology and work more flexible hours. Results of the study found that as well as reducing stress levels, those in the more relaxed environment improved their IQ by 28 per cent and increased memory retention by 33 per cent.
    Of course we don’t need a study to tell us what is already perfectly obvious: flexible working isn’t just desirable from a personal and social level, but makes good business sense too. The good news is that hosted network technology allows for complete flexibility in working, by giving organisations and their staff full and instant access to all their company data, email, calendar and contacts from any computer in the world, without the need for Virtual Private Networks to be set up. The technology is easy to use and affordable for even small businesses. Sadly, it’s the attitude of many managers that needs to change before flexible working becomes a common practice, and attitudes tend to evolve much slower than technology does…

  20. Stefan Töpfer
    http://www.winweb.com


    Said on

    Celia,

    Thank you for your comment - I agree with you, in comparison to our technological advances, many of our business, social, political and moral attitudes are still in the Middle Ages.

    Stefam

  21. Venture Files » Blog Archive » Carnival of Entrepreneurs #38: November 9, 2007
    http://www.venturefiles.com/2007/11/09/carnival-of-entrepreneurs-38-november-9-2007/


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    […] Töpfer presents THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business posted at The Small Business […]

  22. Mom & Women Entrepreneurs Carnival #3
    http://elizabethpottsweinstein.com/2007/11/30/mom-women-entrepreneurs-carnival-3/


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    […] Töpfer presents THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business posted at The Small Business […]

  23. Organize Your Life Carnival #18
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    […] Töpfer presents THE SMALL BUSINESS BLOG » Blog Archive » Work-Life Balance 2.0 and Small Business posted at The Small Business […]

  24. Oliver - Business Coach
    http://www.ologybusiness.com


    Said on

    Spending quality time with your family and taking part in activities you enjoy - and for many business owners this idea seems out of reach. The good news is that in 9 times out of 10 professional business coaching can bring you closer to your personal goals whilst maximising your business performance and profits.

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