What comes to mind when you hear the term financial management? Maybe it makes you feel anxious or confused. If so, please don’t! Like any other business activity, managing your company’s finances can be broken down into smaller, repeatable, and actionable steps. Taking these steps will erase worries and help ensure that this part of your business runs smoothly.

It can be tempting as a small business owner to cling to every dollar. After all, sometimes we’re strapped for cash, and even when we aren’t, it’s natural to want to put every cent back into the business so we can keep growing it. The idea of giving away our funds might feel counterintuitive to our mission. It might even seem flat-out wrong from a business standpoint, despite knowing in our hearts that it’s good to give to others in need.

Everyone gets stressed, no matter who they are or what type of job they have. Small business owners, however, share many of the same stressors. The good news is if you can identify the sources of your stress, you can alleviate and ideally eliminate it – stopping the stress right in its tracks. So if you’re losing sleep, money, or even friends because you’re so high-strung and anxious all the time, keep reading for more information about the eight most common sources of SMB stress and learn how to get it under control.