Time Management for Business Owners
How to effectively manage your time
Time management is one of the most important skills you can have as a business owner. Often, an entrepreneur will get into the habit of starting their workday as soon as their feet hit the floor in the morning, working late into the night in many cases as well. Time management helps you to get more out of your business and to give yourself the rest you deserve as well. There are several ways you can better manage your time.
- Create a Plan
From your small business marketing needs to when you have team meetings with employees, it’s important to create a plan. Winging it may have you forgetting things, working too long on the wrong project, or just making you feel generally discombobulated. Planning what you need to do for the day, week, and month gives you a timeline to look at so that you are putting your energy where your business needs it the most. As you work, adjust the priority of tasks as needed, check off what you’ve already done, and keep a digital schedule that syncs to your phone, tablet, and laptop. This way, you’ll always have a way to make changes as needed.
- Stop Multitasking
You may think you’re doing an excellent job by multitasking, but you’re actually slowing yourself down. When you’re trying to focus on two or more tasks at a time, it’s easy to make small mistakes, forget important details, or simply feel burnt out more quickly. Studies show that focusing on a single task at a time boosts performance and productivity. Spend a dedicated amount of time on a task, such as 30 minutes to check and respond to emails in the morning, before moving on to the next task for an allotted amount of time.
- Get Rid of Your Distractions
Distractions are everywhere and probably take up more of your day than you realize. Apps like Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok are fun to browse for a few minutes, but those minutes add up. If you don’t believe it, simply look for the settings feature that tells you how much time you’ve been spending on each app. Getting rid of distractions is a necessity for productivity. Turn off notifications, uninstall apps, or even get a separate phone that is only for work purposes if you need to. Consider your other distractions as well, such as texting with a friend, reading industry blogs for too long, or chatting with business partners or employees about non-business topics.
- Delegate Your Work
You can’t do it all alone. Delegate some of your responsibilities to business partners, employees, or independent contractors so that you have the time to focus on the work you do have. If you have employees, ask them to do the customer service work and to clean the storefront. If you have a business partner, split the owner’s work between the two of you. Marketing, IT work, and accounting are all specialties that you can hire independent contractors to do on an as-needed basis. The more people you have to help you, the more productive you’ll be with your own time.
- Give Yourself Your Own Time
Nobody is productive when they’re experiencing burnout. If you want to run a business successfully, you need to give yourself time to rest. Set a schedule and make it clear to others that you are unavailable for work-related tasks after a certain time unless it is an emergency. Get plenty of rest at night, eat well, and give yourself at least one full day off per week. Spend your day off working on your hobbies, relaxing with friends or family, or simply relaxing. A happier mind and body will create a more productive workspace.
Running a business is hard work, but it’s even harder when you aren’t managing your time to the best of your abilities. Creating a schedule, cutting out distractions, and asking others for help when necessary will set you and your company on the path to success.
