If you’re a small business owner, it’s likely that your number one challenge is time. There’s never enough time to do all the things you need to for your business.
You have to manage clients, projects, employees, drive sales, do marketing – the list goes on forever. On top of it all, you also have a personal life.
The problem with this is that you constantly feel busy. You’re fighting fires, jumping from one thing to the next, and before you know it, the day is over and you have no idea where the time went.
While there’s no magic solution to gain more hours in a day, there are time management strategies you can leverage to prioritize more effectively. It’s possible to manage clients, projects, and teams while driving new business and having time for a personal life, exercise, and mental bandwidth to strategize about the future. But you have to be very good at managing your time.
The 3 fundamentals of time management
In order to effectively manage your time, there are three essential things you need to understand:
Prioritization
Managing your time effectively comes down to learning how to prioritize. The harsh reality is that there isn’t time to do everything, so you need to prioritize so you spend the majority of your time doing things that will have the biggest impact. This way you’re getting the maximum ROI for your time and energy.
Focus
After prioritizing what’s most important (how-to guide included in the workbook below), it’s important you find your focus. This involves creating an environment where you can focus, as well as having a focused mindset. Part of a focused mindset is learning how to say NO. As I mentioned above, there isn’t time to do everything. To get better at time management, you have to get comfortable with saying NO to some things so you can focus on what’s most important and will have the best ROI for your time. The workbook below includes tips and strategies for helping you get better at saying NO.
Saying no is easier said than done. For tips on getting better at saying no and effective time management strategies, watch our YouTube video 8 Time Management Strategies for Busy Entrepreneurs:
Make sure you also download our workbook to follow along!
Self-Discipline
Managing your time effectively is not easy. It takes self-discipline to prioritize your time, say NO to distractions, and develop processes and systems to help you manage your time more effectively. The workbook below includes tips and strategies to help you build habits and exercise self-discipline to set yourself up for success and become better at managing your time.
I’ve compiled tips and strategies for time management into a 10-step workbook to help you prioritize focus, and be more self-disciplined so you can manage your time more effectively.
Why download this workbook?
I’ve tried and tested all sorts of time management strategies, tools, and tactics throughout my career. I’ve gone from feeling constantly busy to being burnt out from trying to do too much, to now achieving more while doing less. I have more mental bandwidth and it’s because of these time management strategies I’ve learned and applied. I’ve also taught some of these time management strategies to others who have had success in managing their time better and feeling less stressed as a result.
If there’s one thing I’ve always heard from bosses, customers, colleagues, coaches and friends it’s, “I’m amazed by how you do it all!” Am I superhero? No. Is there anything particularly special about me? Probably not. What I do have is an amazing team, Daylite of course helps, and I’ve just gotten very good at learning and applying time management strategies to figure out what works.
In the 6 years I’ve been writing about small business productivity and time management, I’ve tried and tested the research. I’ve scoured the internet for the best tips and tricks and read about how successful business owners manage their time. I’ve read books on time management, successful habits, productivity, and efficiency. I’ve had the pleasure of being mentored by the former CEO of a large company, worked with a business coach, a leadership coach, and have experimented with all sorts of different strategies for time management. Some strategies have worked. Others not so much. Some strategies I’ve forgotten and had to relearn. Nobody’s perfect.
I’ve compiled all these techniques into a 10-step workbook to help others learn effective strategies for managing your time while running your small business.
Who this time management workbook is for:
This workbook is for small business owners and managers that often feel like there are not enough hours in the day to complete all the things that you need to. These time management strategies are for people that constantly feel busy, but don’t feel or see the impact and progress they expect to see from their work, and never seem to find the time to think about the future. If you’re constantly busy and have a hard time fitting everything in your day, this workbook may be for you.
About the author:
Kristie Holden is an online marketing consultant. She helps startups get more leads by clarifying their message and creating a marketing strategy to attract and convert their ideal client. Connect with her on Instagram.
