If you’re an entrepreneur, you know. You put in the hours, often working days, evenings, weekends and even on vacation and still, time continues to be the biggest struggle. This is the price you pay to be your own boss. Just remember, we get as many hours in the day as Beyoncé, but it’s all about how you manage it. Here are some helpful tips to keep you in control of your time.
Schedule Everything
Life gets busy – which means that you can often forget that meeting or work event that you said you’d attend. This can lead to forgetting important details that will put you even further behind schedule. If you need to write it down, purchase a planner and start writing everything down. Even the small details. This will make sure that nothing is overlooked or forgotten. If you prefer to do it all on your computer, Google Calendar and Microsoft Outlook Calendar are two great options. Pair Google Home with your calendar and make scheduling a breeze by simply speaking out-loud.
Prioritize Things
Learn to say “no” to the things that don’t need your attention. You can eliminate and free up a lot of time when you think about the things that you say “yes” to, that you don’t have any time for. Determine which things you must do, need to do and want to do. Those tasks that don’t have as huge repercussion if not completed on time, could be delegated to someone on your team or moved to a later, less important time slot.
Eliminate Distractions
You’d probably be surprised to learn just how much time you spend getting distracted, especially if you work from home. However, working at an office can have plenty of distractions as well. Try to avoid interruptions by simply saying you don’t have a moment to chat right now, but you’ d be happy to schedule some time to do so. It may sound silly, but often 5 minutes can turn into 30 minutes and that’s time you can’t get back. Turn off the TV, put your cellphone away and focus.
Block Time Off
Block time off and commit to doing something you enjoy during this time slot. Take a lunch time yoga class, go for a walk, read a book or listen to your favourite podcast. The last thing you want to do is burnout. These few moments you’ve set aside can recharge you and keep you motivated and inspired.
Hire Out
If you were to sit down and look at your business, there is probably a few portions of it that you can hire someone to take care of. One of the biggest jobs that you can hire out for is social media and SEO. Hiring someone to do this can free up a ton of time. It’s not always easy to let this out of your control, but you can shift your focus onto other tasks, especially with a few extra hours that probably just came available for you.
At Van Patter Group, we execute a digital marketing strategy to enhance your brand and image while building consumer confidence. If you’re interested in social media marketing, content writing, website design or email marketing, contact us today! As an entrepreneur, we understand the importance of time management and we want to see your business grow.