Entrepreneurs never seem to have enough time to accomplish everything they need to in a day. Here are a few ways to help you manage your time when you run a small business:
Wake up early
Start your day before the rest of the business world wakes up. Wake up earlier than your kids. Use this time to plan your day, exercise, eat a good breakfast and get a head start. You will feel like a general before battle. While you may at first feel that the extra sleep will be more valuable to you, going to bed early and waking up before the rat race has a clue as to what you’re up to will give you a distinct advantage. The early morning hours are uninterrupted and often the most productive.
Resist the urge to multi-task
As small business owners, we play several roles throughout any give day. We may be an entrepreneur one minute, and then a doting parent the next. Resist the urge to let these separate, distinct, and very demanding worlds collide. When you are at work, be at work. When you are with family, be with family. If you try to do both at the same time, you will be less effective at both, you will waste time, and you will often lose your sanity!
Schedule everything
Set goals for your workweek and then break those goals down into manageable tasks for each day of the week. Plan your whole workday in advance. Don’t forget to factor in travel time, time to eat lunch, etc. Review your daily schedule the night before and adjust accordingly. Use a timer (especially for meetings!) so you stay on schedule. Bulk like-tasks together: you’ll get them done quicker while you’re “in the zone.”
Eat the frog first
The phrase “eat the frog first” was coined by Mark Twain and what it means is, get the most unpleasant task over and done with first thing in the morning and the rest of your day will be that much easier. Getting tough jobs out of the way while your energy levels are still high will motivate and propel you through the rest of the day, making you more productive and time efficient.
No distractions
Schedule limited time for checking email, social media, voicemail or any little distractions that take more time away from your goals than you think. Turn your alerts and notifications off if you have to. Screen your calls and don’t pick up unless it’s important.
Create systems
Pinpoint repeat tasks (for instance, invoicing or writing contracts) and come up with systems, checklists and templates to make these chores more effortless and less time-consuming.
Take breaks
Running on empty will get you nowhere. Schedule breaks, leave your desk for a few minutes and recharge periodically. You will work more productively in the long-run and make better use of your time.
Delegate
No matter how hard you try (and you shouldn’t try), you will neverbe able to do it all. Enlist professional help for tasks that take you away from what you do best. Seek out professional services in accounting, branding, marketing, social media, or whatever else steals your time away from your focus. These pros should save you time and money.
Need a hand with your business’ brand? Call Kim Speed at Purple Moon Creative today!
