Ivelisse McBride 
Why is Time Management Necessary for an Entrepreneur?
The entrepreneur’s day can be a bit overwhelming. From organizing and participating in meetings to planning strategies, from dealing with employees to meeting new clients or customers – the entrepreneur does it all!
If you were to ask any successful businessperson or entrepreneur which skill they cherish the most or the one skill they wish they could dominate, it would be time management.
Time management is what helps entrepreneurs remain sane amidst the chaos! The better an entrepreneur becomes at time management, the better their business will be. The best part is that, like every other skill, the more you practice time management, the better you become at it. Time management is the key to productivity! Read the rest of this blog to guide you through some excellent time management practices.
Set Up Non-Negotiable Self-Appointments
Some people, sometimes me included, will fill their schedule with other people’s requirements before their own. Their days will end up packed with meetings, teaching others how to be more productive, scheduling appointments, and so much more, but they never take the time to plan to learn new things, catch up with friends, or self-evaluation.
Entrepreneurs who find the time for these activities hold them as sacred as if they were meetings with high-profile clients. Meaning it’s essential to take time for yourself to be productive! How can you make these self-appointments time work as an entrepreneur? Read and catch up with the latest trends in your field, take a course online on a skill you want to develop, call business buddies and network, or plan some fun recharging activities for the next month.
Anticipate Interruptions
We’ve covered setting up non-negotiable self-appointments, and now we can add anticipating interruptions to this list. As an entrepreneur who is also a mom working from home, interruptions will be second nature, and I need to ensure that these interruptions are planned to maximize my time with family. So leave some white space in your calendar to ensure you are available to kiss some booboos away, snuggle up for an impromptu movie session, or hear your eager boy talk about his favorite video games. If these interruptions don’t happen, then use that time to catch up on work and clock out a bit early…promise we won’t tell!
Delegate
It’s ok for an entrepreneur to do things alone initially, but after a while, the time will come when you will need to learn how to delegate and outsource some of the workloads. You’ll quickly realize that your time is better spent on things that matter most to you than setting up meetings, balancing accounts, or proofreading marketing materials. Just hire a virtual assistant to help take these tasks off your to-do list! Hiring a full-time employee can be expensive, but working with a freelancer will help you manage your time without breaking the bank.
Automate Repetitive Tasks
There is quite a benefit to automating repetitive tasks, like saving time, improving productivity, reducing mistakes, and freeing up staffing for more critical functions within your business. Automating a task or process means using technology to perform the job that humans would otherwise perform. By doing this, you speed up the workflow! What are some of the tasks you can automate? Tasks like report generation, file transfers, social media scheduling and posting, email automation, and so much more.
My Favorite Time Management Technique – The Pomodoro Technique
My secret for time management is to think about productivity rather than hours. Yes, it seems silly, especially if you spend hours and hours in your office working away when you could finish your work in half the time with a bit of focus. The Pomodoro Technique is my favorite technique to keep me focused on the task. So here is how it works:
- Grab your to-do list and a timer.
- Set that timer for 25 minutes and focus on one task until you finish it or the timer runs out.
- When your 25-minute session ends, take a well-deserved five-minute break!
- After you have completed this process four times, take a 15-to-30-minute break!
These 25-minute sprints are the key to making this technique a success because it breaks down complex projects into smaller, more manageable chunks. The only rule here is: to try your best to avoid disruptions! As a work-from-home entrepreneur who homeschools, I must let everyone know my intentions and turn my phone into silent mode for those 25 minutes.
Entrepreneurs pay the price every day just for choosing to become entrepreneurs. This comes with more stress than expected, more than they can manage daily. To build a strong business, stay on top of how you spend your time!
Find this post helpful? Check out another one packed with useful information on Self-Care Habits for the Accomplished Entrepreneur.
