How to deal with Decision Fatigue: Tips for Business Owners

Your decisions are crucial

The average person makes 35,000 decisions a day. As a business owner you probably reach that number by lunch time. And your decisions aren’t just about flats or flip flops; your decisions are crucial to your livelihood, and that of your employees. 

I was recently told to stop using the word “decision” and start thinking of these challenges as mere “choices.” 

While that sounds like a simple idea, it dismissed the exhaustion and mental burnout that business owners face. 

I wanted to assure you—business owner to business owner—I see you. My team sees you. We recognize the hundreds of thousands of choices that need to be made to determine products to sell, prices to set, displays to style, graphics to design, sales to make, directions to take, people to hire, forms to fill out. 
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And we are taking as many of these choices off your plate as possible, so you have a little more time, a little more free space, a little more clarity for focusing on fun and enjoying your profits. 

Tips to Reduce Decision Fatigue

• Switch up your morning routine to allow for tough and important decisions (flyers and promotions, changing business hours, new retail display). This means you may need to select an outfit and get your coffee ready the night before, keep your phone turned off until mid-morning, or wake up before the kids. 
• Turn decisions back to people asking. Whether it’s the family asking, “What’s for dinner?” or staff asking, “When can I take a vacation?” repeat the question back to them with enthusiasm. Usually they’ve thought about this and they’re hoping you say “pizza” or “next weekend.” Let them provide a few answers and then make your selection. 
• Don’t be afraid to tell food service workers, house cleaners, and other support staff that you need help making decisions on what to eat, which rooms to prioritize, etc. Let others offer their input. You’ll know when it’s a good idea or when to course correct! 
• Put something on the calendar that is a delight to think about and make decisions for. Have you ever noticed how your customers love choosing between bath bombs? They get to smell each one and revel in their preferred color and style. Their eyes light up as they settle on the perfect treat for their upcoming bath. As a business owner, it’s so important to have trivial and fun choices to make. Whether it’s a vacation or a pedicure—choosing hotels or nail colors is a relaxing and rewarding way to massage your Decision Fatigue. 

We appreciate you. We know that being a business owner can be intense. We don’t ever want you to feel alone in your retailer decisions. 

If you want our input on a product idea, we are here to listen, and share our knowledge to implement a product that will work. 

We are going to tell you what pricing models and retail displays are getting the best results. 

We are going to continue offering Assorted Packs that take the guesswork out of ordering. 

We are going to be here for you—in the calm times and intense times. 

In partnership with you, 
Gertie 
Swanky Sweet Pea, CEO
Waking Girl Company, Founder and CEO

Decisions we made for you!

Decision 1. During the summer months, we’re shipping whipped soaps on Mondays and Tuesdays. This will reduce time spent in hot trucks and help it maintain its shape. Order today for Monday shipping! 

Decision 2. We are using a slightly different shaped jar for salts and whipped soaps, as our suppliers are out of stock of the usual. Hold off on ordering these products if the jar shape is key to your operation. 

Decision 3. We are building a Retailer Refill program to keep your shop stocked without the hassle of making more decisions! Retailers will be able to request automatic refills of their usual order, or subscribe to Seasonal Refills. You’ll get priority shipping and access to all the newest bath bombs. Reply back to this email if you’re interested in this program! 

Decision 4. We are offering more Variety Packs, so you can get more bath bombs with fewer clicks! Grab a theme; we already made the tough decisions for you! 
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Decision 5. We decided to expand our partnership with our parent company to offer Digital Marketing services to Swanky Sweet Pea Retailers. Get the details on our website!