Simple Time Management Tips and Tricks for Entrepreneurs
How important is your time? Is it possible you find yourself wishing there were more hours in a day? Perhaps even finding yourself saying so practically daily? When it comes to balancing your existing schedule, and your business it can start to feel overwhelming. Today, I want to leave you with some simple time management tips that should have you feeling;
- more productive
- less overwhelmed
- proud of yourself and accomplishments
The reality is, most entrepreneurs just starting out have a day job, families to look after and other life commitments. And, by the time they return home from work, have dinner, and spend time with their family — the day is nearly over and as a result, their businesses received little to no attention.
The good news is we all have the same 24 hours in a day.
It is what we do with those hours that matters most.
It’s possible we don’t even realize how much free time we actually have, until we go about scheduling it. Let’s consider personal development — start here because it all starts within. Getting our mind right will take us through the best of times and the worst of times.
Time Management Tips …
For Personal Development
Audible is a great resource available right onto your mobile phone that you can download audios and plug those earphones in for your commute, run, walk or otherwise. Great options to fulfill your personal development time, but it’s a great way to consider starting your day with.
For Business Hours
This tip is far too often overlooked. It’s when people feel that they are spending hours on their business because they have been scrolling through Facebook or other social media. Decide what hours you are able to commit to your business, and avoid counting the hours that you are wasting surfing the newsfeed.
I always recommend to my community and coaching clients that they need to schedule at least one (1) hour a day for their business. Please keep in mind that more is ideal, but I appreciate that we all have to start somewhere. If you spend your one hour lunch break surfing Facebook, my friend, this is not working your business.
Scheduling specific hours that involve income producing activities however, is. Set a specific goal when you log on before doing anything else.
So, if you choose your business hours to be between 8:00 p.m. and 9:00 p.m., every single day – then this means anything else needs to be scheduled around that. Time management is only simple, when we apply it. Pick a time that will be the less likely to be interrupted.
Treat your business as though it was a brick and mortar business, open between this time and that time. No exceptions and non-negotiable.
For Follow Up
You should always be filling a funnel. Since you’ve committed to connecting with 5 new people daily, don’t forget to circle back to them. We know that most people require multiple conversations or exposures to your products or services before they are ready to spend money with you.
The fortune is in the follow up, so do not forget to include that in your daily schedule.
As human beings, sometimes seeing is believing, right? So a great way to document productive time you spend on your business, and how effective you are at managing that time, will allow you the opportunity to see more time in your day. Once we have a clear picture is allows us to tweak or schedule as needed; spend more time on doing things you love, increase the hours spent on your business, etc.
For ‘Chunking’
Consider doing things in batches. Create something predictable and chunking/grouping your hours, will allow your prospects, customers, colleagues, etc. to know when you are available to them.
Working in batches like this will also allow for habit forming activities, ones that will eventually become second nature for you to perform.
Creating habits is one of the biggest breakthroughs for time management. Out with the bad ones and in with GREAT ones!
For Results
Are you familiar with the 45/10/5 rule?
Work for 45 minutes on income producing activities. This means no interruptions, turn off anything that isn’t income producing. If your focus in on Facebook prospecting, turn off your email, your television, your phone, etc.
During this time, don’t let anything interrupt you.
Once your 45 minutes are up, take a break. Spend 15 minutes doing whatever you want; watch a video, check your Facebook, grab a drink, use the washroom, etc. This 15 minutes is your time.
After your break, spend the next 5 minutes, plotting your next 45 minutes of work. Write down exactly what you want to accomplish in the next allotted time of work – use an action check list.
You will find that you are far more productive and the scheduled breaks will allow you to break free of what might feel like an endless cycle of nothing. And, this time structuring will help you reflect on your results every 45 minutes.
Lastly, your time is your most prized possession, your most precious asset.
Once you begin to apply the simple time management tips mentioned above, I assure you, your business will thank you! All you need is a little discipline and effective planning. The results will come with consistency.
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