10 Ways For Entrepreneurs To Find More TimeWritten by Dr. Rachna D. Jain
It's occurred to me lately that I don't feel like there's enough time to do everything I want to do in my business. Between working with clients, writing books and articles, teaching raining other professionals, marketing, and just living a good life, there seems to be less and less time in each and every day.As I was thinking about what to write about for this article it occurred to me that, perhaps, writing about time management for entrepreneurs would be a good topic so here we are. If you, like me, are feeling a bit crunched by everything you want to do, here are some tips and strategies I've used to help things move along: 1) Do a life assessment and get clear on your top priorities for each day/week/month. I tend to do it daily, and then check it again weekly to make sure I'm on track - you might find some other combination works better for you. In this process, you get clear on where you want to focus your energy and it can help you make decisions more quickly if an event arises that is not a life priority. You can more easily decide how or whether to focus on it right now. 2) Use 80/20 rule to your advantage. By now, you've probably heard something about this principle which states "80% of your success comes from 20% of your efforts" so you, as a small business owner, want to figure out where YOUR most profitable 20% is and spend majority of your time in those activities. For me, my most profitable activities are working with clients, creating multiple income streams and creating time each day to be inspired. What are yours? 3) Ask for help. If you are a person who feels that you need to do everything yourself, this tip might make you uncomfortable. I'd encourage you to try this anyway. I've found that, by hiring assistance, I'm actually able to produce much more in much less time. It's wonderful to feel like my projects are moving ahead without my having to follow up on each and every detail. 4) Automate. As much as possible use technology to your advantage. This might mean getting email access on your cell phone (if you are in car a lot) or taking steps to get your website up and running with important information or it might mean learning how to use autoresponders or packaging your knowledge in such a way that people can purchase it at any time. Whatever it is for you, automation is a great way to multiplying your efforts. The biggest complaint I hear about this is time involved to set it up. However, great thing about automation is that you set it up once and it runs from there. 5) Simplify. I'm finding that, as I get busier, it's more crucial for me to simplify my efforts. The more I do this easier my business is to run. For example, I've just recently moved almost entirely to accepting payments by credit card which diminishes need for frequent bank trips to deposit checks. I have also put clients on recurring billing so this saves time and effort of invoicing each month. Simplification is a great tool for finding more time.
| | The Harvest: Shared PowerWritten by Linda LaPointe
The fall harvest comes upon us once a year. The farmers collect sometimes-scant rewards of their heroic efforts begun months before. For those of us who are hobby or family gardeners, fall is time for us to pluck firm orange pumpkins, deep green flowers of broccoli, and plump red tomatoes from their vines. As we reap our rewards of months of work and waiting from backdrop of black, black earth, we realize our personal power. If not for our labors, if not for our devoted attention and timely reaction to environmental hazards, these fruits would not be borne. The seeds we sowed in early spring have given us sustenance and security for coming frigidness. Much like our work in garden, we have no power singly, as power does not exist in isolation. Only when we work with others and interact to produce something of value, with constant alertness to outside variables and others' responses, do we have power. Our personal power enhances our own and others' capacities. When seedlings thickened, we thinned them so they would not choke each other out. When vines fell from weight, we supported them. When drought threatened their very life, we watered them. When bugs invaded, we protected them. When frost came nipping at their foliage, we shielded them. Through our power we gave birth to something fresh and wondrous that would not have existed without us. This was not fulfilled through power over seed, but through power with seed, leaving ourselves open, vulnerable, and ready to act with environment.
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