I’m a busy person and don’t have any time to work on my business. How can I change this?

What kind of tasks are you spending most of your time on? Are these tasks making you money? Or can they be delegated to someone else? If you do things the same way, your business won’t change. Instead, you must learn to work on yourself as well as your business. Undeniably, if you don’t do this, your business will forever remain the same.

How can I make better use of my time?

Determine goals for time management. The first step in the process is to get rid of personal time wasters. For example, you may wish to commit for a week not to take personal calls or texts during work hours.

Create time management plan. This allows you to create a well-defined goal which can be tracked over time to ensure it is being achieved.

Use time management tools. Knowing where time is wasted is always useful to plan your future time. Moreover, software to manage your time is available, including calendars which are inbuilt into most email platforms.

Prioritise. Prioritise daily tasks in order of importance and only complete tasks that need doing on the same day. Don’t worry about non-urgent tasks.

Outsource or delegate work if possible. Even if you are a one-man band, you need not suffer with being over run with work. There are a number of tasks within a business which can be successfully delegated to a third party which can be viewed here.

Create routines and stick to them where possible. Establishing routine is important because it allows people to get straight into the tasks of the day rather than wasting a lot of time trying to get started.

Set tight goals. Dealing with e-mails can be time consuming. As such, spend only half an hour max on them. And try not to respond sporadically throughout the day.

Maintain organised systems. Can you easily access files on your computer? If not, it may be necessary to implement a file management system. And if the system is slowing you down, it may be necessary to re-arrange it. To make the process less time wasting.

Reduce wasted time. Inevitably, interruption happens which wastes time. However, thanks to remote working, this can be reduced significantly.

Key takeaways

• Get rid of personal time wasters such as answering personal calls and texts during the day
• Set goals and keep track of them over time to see if you are achieving them
• Use a calendar service to manage your appointments and schedule
• Prioritise tasks every day in order of importance. Try not to stress about other un-important tasks
• Consider delegating some tasks to a third party. For examples, click here
• Establish a daily routine and stick to it
• Set strict time limits for tasks. Complete some tasks in blocks rather than sporadically
• Maintain a highly organised filing system
• Use phone and tablet to continue working when away from the office