Time Management tips for entrepreneurs
Are you an entrepreneur of any sort – hardcore, running your own business for long, someone new to the area, someone who is mulling over the thought of becoming one?
Whichever category, entrepreneurs, are somewhat born, somewhat self-made. The born entrepreneur is different from the man standing next to him in certain inbuilt qualities – his mind is sharp to opportunities. You see it in thieves… unfortunately, they did not proceed further. Had they done so, they could have been millionaires reaping revenues from how do achieve quick results manuals.
Furthermore, the thief and the born entrepreneur are both adaptable, learn lessons along the way, are never skeptical about the outcome and are never discouraged by failure. They instinctively understand people with no necessity to refer to that section from the “How to….. manual. They also are supremely confident and have a high dose of optimism and verbiage. They can talk their way out of most situations. The difference lies in a small point, they cannot spot an area where demand exists or might exist very soon, nor can they spot how they could make a difference or an improvement to what exists. This insight, commitment, and level of adaptability are traits of a good entrepreneur. All said and done, entrepreneurs have the same 24 hours in a day that everyone else has, so how do they achieve what the brilliant entrepreneurs did? Some tips below might get you thinking, in case you missed out on a point. If the family ever commented that “……….. is married to the business” or you ever commented that “I hardly have time…” these tips might certainly help.
Know what is needed. Knowing your goal, what you want firmly and resolutely. Knowing how it would fit in the big picture you have in mind eliminates the issue of meandering around hoping for results. This means doing a lot of research beforehand. When you know exactly what you are doing, those around you know their part. There is no second question, no ambiguity and this definitely contributes your credibility and respect. Every entrepreneur needs these two attributes as a part of his/her success.
Get your facts together before you set forth, whether an initial meeting, a phone call to a client or a chat with an employee. The goal, where you stopped last, and the projected outcome of your visit should be refreshed. This eliminates the need for wandering conversations and procrastination. It also ensures that you know where everything and every piece of information you generally need is. An unbelievable amount of time is wasted going from point A to point B several times without adequate forethought, and this applies not to just entrepreneurship but any area of your life.
Whatever important task at hand, complete it before leaping to the next task. Be totally focused. The feeling of self-worth and fulfillment is worth it. There is nothing more time consuming than leaping from activity to activity leaving loose ends and coming back to that job.
Learn to delegate. We know of a talented entrepreneur who never got past the small business stage as he spent a lot of time gate watching for latecomers. He managed to secure a few health problems along the way until a concerned doctor drew his attention to the big picture, where thereafter his business reached mid-level, but not quite a big time. It is sometimes hard to break the habit of micro-managing. The danger in delegating is a lack of periodical monitoring. Unless your staff are handpicked for efficiency and effectiveness, bearing in mind that both have two different meanings, go ahead and choose your employees with care and monitor them along the first stages. Outsourcing is a great idea for certain areas that do not need core business attention.
Don’t hesitate to cut out diversions, whether in business or social life. At times, it is necessary for the Do Not Disturb notice to come up. Keep the communication lines flowing around the Notice. If you fear that not being available even for a short time might be detrimental for your business, there are many strategic personal touches that smoothen out any situation.
Be ruthless about matters that do not connect to your exact goal. Some of them tend to divert your attention for a while – social media, nonbusiness related calls. That also goes for business and in-house meetings where the social aspect might stretch beyond the essentials. Stick to the essentials. How about buying time by waking up two hours earlier execute a task that could be done undisturbed which would have otherwise become stressful had you crammed it into a busy day?
They never forget – possibly because they Never allow themselves to forget, using diaries and modern technology to help them remember, connect and reconnect. Why not use modern technology when it can bring the world and all the information you need any time on the move? There was an entrepreneur, a shrewd businessman behind his charm, whose wife once mentioned she loved wristwatches with blue dials. The business man never forgot. With fine gestures, he presented her with a blue dial wristwatch every time he returned from his numerous business visits…. which also indicates that memory must be tied to facts for which advanced technology is always at hand. Learn it ……… and use it!
Created : January 19th, 2016
