Time Management: Tips to Successfully Start Your Business

“ Your future is created by what you do today, not tomorrow.” — Unknown Time management. Work/life balance. These concepts seem elusive for women in business. But becoming a master of time management and getting things done can be achieved with these tips to successfully start your business and manage your time in a way that means you don’t have to hustle 24/7. Small businesses have provided income for families long before the internet. However, the internet has made opening and operating your own business easier than ever. These new businesses can provide you the opportunity to earn a substantial income in the comfort of your own home, factory, studio or office. However, the picture isn’t always so sunny. Starting your own business requires work just like any other business. It’s important to make the best use of your time to enable your business to bring you the profits and joy you deserve. If you are running your business from home beware that this gives the feeling of comfort, relaxation, and escape from work, so it’s very easy to lose focus and, as a result, get much different results than the ones you want from your business venture. Making the Most of your time in a Home-Based Business So what’s the fix? Developing a timetable to help manage your life at home will help ensure everything gets done when it needs to be. Follow these tips to enable your time management tool to work effectively for you: 1. Use work time wisely. Allocate a specific time slot each day for work and use the time just for that. Avoid being distracted by TV or anything else. Remind yourself that you’ve scheduled enough time for everything, so work time should be just that! 2. Schedule enough rest time. Lack of rest can significantly impact the results from your home-based business. You’ll start to feel tired and cranky if you’re not well-rested, which will undoubtedly affect the quality and quantity of work you produce. Avoid the temptation to cut into your rest time to get more done; use rest time for actually resting so your work doesn’t suffer. 3. Include scheduled breaks. Once your timetable includes scheduled breaks during work slots, you’ll have something to look forward to. You’ll also have less of an urge to take “unscheduled” breaks while working. “ Either run the day or the day runs you.” — Jim Rohn Why is time management important for startups? Of course, how you manage your time at home will significantly impact the success of your at-home business. But what poor time management can also affect is “the rest of your life.” That’s right, working at home in a haphazard manner can really take its toll on other things. · Family time and other important activities could be negatively impacted if you work in an ad hoc manner and don’t reserve enough time for such things. · Fitness, health, and diet also need your direct attention when you’re a work at home earner. Not paying enough attention to those things could result in your health being in jeopardy. And that’s the last thing you want when your only source of income is your home-based business! It’s very easy to get so absorbed in your home-based business and overlook the importance of other aspects of your life. Once you lose focus, your relationships will start to suffer and you may start neglecting your health. If you’re working 16 hours per day, then you’re most likely not exercising or eating properly. Nor are you spending time with your loved ones. Try to steer clear of this scenario! Once you create a structured approach to your business and life in general, you’ll find that you’ll accomplish more, get more financial fulfillment from your business, and be able to achieve balance in other aspects of your life as well! What are the benefit of time management? There are many benefits to effective time management, including: Reduced stress. When you’re organised and have a clear plan for your time, you’ll Less stress and be able to focus on more important tasks. Increased productivity. By focusing on your goals and completing your tasks efficiently, you’ll achieve greater results in less time. Improved work/life balance. When you’re able to efficiently manage your time, you can spend more time with family and friends, and enjoy life outside of work. If you’re feeling overwhelmed and confused about how to manage your time, don’t worry. There are many resources available to help you improve your time management skills. Why is time management important? Because without effective time management, you will quickly become overwhelmed and frustrated. What is time management? Time management is the process of organizing your time and activities so that you can achieve your goals. It’s about setting priorities, setting boundaries, and using effective time management tools. Why is time management important? Time is our most precious commodity. We all have limited amounts of it, and we need to use it wisely to achieve our goals. Here are some tips for effective time management: Set realistic goals. Don’t try to do too many things at once. Prioritise your goals and tasks, and make sure that each one is important and has a corresponding timeframe. Set boundaries. Don’t overcommit yourself. Set reasonable deadlines and boundaries for your tasks and goals, and don’t take on too many projects at once. Use effective time management tools. There are many tools available to help you manage your time, from planners to timers to sticky notes. use the one that works best for you. There are many time management tools available to help you manage your time. Here are some of the most popular: Planners: A planner is a great way to track your goals and tasks, and it can also be used to plan your week or month. Timers: Timers can help you organise your time by setting specific deadlines for your tasks. Sticky notes: Sticky notes are a great way to jot down ideas or reminders, and they can be placed anywhere in your work area Time Management Techniques to Try Pareto method The Pareto method is a popular time management technique that uses the 80/20 rule. The Pareto principle states that 80% of your results come from 20% of your activities. This means that if you focus on completing the most important tasks, you’ll achieve the majority of your results. Eat the frog Eat the frog method means that you complete the most onerous tasks first in order to avoid feeling overwhelmed later in the day. This method helps to break down large tasks into smaller, more manageable pieces. How it works: Set your daily goals. What is it you want to achieve that day. Make a list of these goals and how long it you need to spend on it. Create a task list of each thing needed to complete a goal. Prioritise your goals and tasks so that the things you want to do least are the first to be completed. Do the work. Once you have completed the task on your list, move on to the next goal. Repeat these steps until all your goals have been completed. Pomodoro Technique The Pomodoro technique is a time management technique that focuses on completing a task in 25 minute intervals. This helps you to eliminate distractions and focus on the task at hand. Eisenhower Matrix The Eisenhower matrix is a time management technique that helps you to prioritise your tasks. To use the Eisenhower matrix, first identify your critical tasks. Next, divide these tasks into two columns. The left-most column should contain your high-priority tasks, and the right-most column should contain your low-priority tasks. Finally, place a check mark in the box that corresponds to the task’s priority. There are many other time management tips available, and the best way to find what works best for you is to experiment with different techniques. Employing effective time management will help you achieve your goals faster and with less stress My final thoughts Despite being a business coach for women, working from home and managing my time are struggles I know all too well. Sometimes motivation eludes me. Sometimes there just aren’t enough hours in the day. When these things are fully at my capacity for taking action, I know I have to go back to basics and review my time management and the outcomes I need to achieve. I have found that Time Blocking is the best technique for me, but I know it isn’t for everyone. What is most important is that you do find a way to manage your time to be productive instead of chasing your tail. This just leads to overwhelm. Establishing routine will help you take the consistent action needed to achieve success. Love It? Pin This Article for Later.