The proper time management techniques can make a huge difference in the success of a small business. Knowing how to apply certain time saving tricks and tips can nip inefficiency in the bud and turn your schedule into something you can control rather than vice versa. Not only can such moves save you and your small business time, but money too. Here are a few things to consider when you’re pondering good ways to cut the inefficiency and make your time your own again when it comes to running your small business.
Prioritizing People
Meetings can be helpful in organizing your small business affairs, but they can also eat heavily into your daily schedule. You may find that as the owner of a small business, there are various employees vying for your time and attention. This person and that could be strolling into your office, asking for a chance to talk or meet, discuss this or that, or just shoot the breeze for a few minutes.
Not to sound crass here, but sometimes for your own good and that of your business, you have to make a call as to whom you are going to give the majority of your time. This isn’t a green light to be rude to people, but giving your full time and attention to each and every person who walks into your office will leave you with no time to handle the daily items on your plate. Determining the time you can devote to meeting with various people and prioritizing which persons you will focus the majority of this time upon can keep you from falling into meeting traps.
Time Out Your Day
At the end of the day, do you ever wonder where all the time has gone? Well, it might be time to find out. Timing out the various events that comprise your day could pinpoint specific areas in which you are, if not wasting time, maybe aren’t making as efficient use of it as you could. You could be surprised at just how much time is slipping through your fingers due to very unproductive activities and distractions.
Denying Distractions
If, by way of your gauging where your time disappears to, you’ve discovered that a large portion of it is being consumed by distractions, it might be worthwhile determining how best to rid yourself of such time eaters or at least handle them more efficiently. Things like emails, phone calls, texts, conversations, etc. may be taking up more of your day than you realize. By specifying certain part or parts the day or setting aside a certain amount of time each day, you could knock out more of these distractions at once rather than stopping and starting your day intermittently to deal with them.
Find Your Sweet Spots
Most of us probably have a certain time or times during the day in which we work more effectively or efficiently. There might be a place or places that are more conducive to productive work habits as well. Finding your “sweet spots” either of time or place could enhance your ability to better manage time in your small business and allow you to pack a few more items onto your daily to-do list.
In my opinion, time is far more important than money.
In time, we do things that aren’t important, and in time, we all die. There’s no time in my life to waste time. Every moment is important and actually, every moment can be used as a money making opportunity.
Do you best to spend your time wisely, only doing something beneficial to yourself and your business.
I think distractions are the main reason why so many good businesses fail. When you can prioritize and keep doing what you need to be doing instead of what appears to be important at that moment, your business will succeed.
Finding out sweet spots is also very important because this is the time when we should be doing the most important tasks of the day.