As any small business owner can tell you, there is never enough time to get everything done. Like, ever. Thankfully, you can organize your time a whole lot more efficiently, giving you a better shot at mostly getting everything done. Mostly.
Here are some tips for managing your time better
No matter what you actually do in your business, these tips are designed to help you get it done better! Just apply and personalize them to how you run your business, and you’ll see the difference they can make!
Get used to having a calendar (and actually using it):
Whether you want to go with a computer/tablet calendar, a day planner, or even a large wall one that is chalk/white board, get a calendar that you can customize and use to plan out your weeks so that you can see what’s going on, and when. It’ll become your most treasured thing, once you get used to it.
Design your day in logical time blocks:
This is a great way to make sure that you are getting everything done, but not short changing anything either. You’ll want to schedule certain times of your day for everything that you need to do and try to organize them so that you aren’t constantly running out of time. Don’t forget to leave time for self care!
Set (and enforce) boundaries:
This one is hard. Like, really hard. You must, must communicate and enforce boundaries with customers so that you are more than your job. This is what will make sure you survive amongst the competition. Don’t forget to set boundaries with family and friends, too. Whoever doesn’t respect them…well, you know what to do!
Learn how to prioritize tasks:
This is challenging at first, but it does get easier. You’ll need to always focus on those tasks that earn you the most money with the least amount of effort. Let goes of those things that are just slowing you down. It’ll save you energy and time.
Outsource as much as possible:
When it comes to those frustrating things that you can’t do as effectively as you’d like, consider outsourcing. For example: shipping and mailing, payroll, lead generation, etc. If you have the funds, use them now!
Set a decent rate:
This is crucial. You. Are. Worth. Your. Rate. Regardless of what some jerk of a client may tell you, you are worth every single dime that you charge. Do not take less than you deserve.
Walk away when you need a break:
When the world is just tugging you down and you feel like you’re going to just say “EFF THIS”, you need to take a break. Like, now. Grab some friends and go out for an afternoon, or a weekend, if you can take it. Want to rant to someone who gets it? Go out with some other small business people in your life — odds are they will need it as bad as you!
All of these tips are going to help you make time management a breeze, even if you don’t think so right now! Take the ones that feel like the most doable, and start there. Then add to your collection of time management skills as you see best!
