Tips for Entrepreneurs to Get More Done in Less Time
Entrepreneurs are very busy people. A study revealed that 39% of small business owners work 60 hours a week. They have so much work to do, they even work on their vacations. But as an entrepreneur, being busy is not equivalent to being productive. Having a lot to do does not mean you are working in line with your goal. You could be busy being distracted.
Being a successful entrepreneur requires intentionality, strategy and discipline. Most of all it requires excellent time management skills. In this article, we share with you the best tips to get more done in a limited time.
10 tips for entrepreneurs to achieve more in a limited time
Start your day with a strategy
Commencing your day without a plan is like driving a car with no destination in mind. You will fall for anything that will lead you away from your initial goal as an entrepreneur. It begins with making sure you have a strategy to always start your day positively and energized.
Before getting into the business of the day, you must plan. It should be one of the first things you do each morning. Envisage how you want your day to be, things you want to achieve, what deadlines you need to meet, and write it down in your notepad. A plan serves as a guide as you journey through your day. Knowing what to do is a step closer to getting it done.
Prioritize your task
Planning your day goes beyond arbitrarily putting items on a to-do list. You need to make sure you have the right things down in the right order. That’s how you effectively use a to-do list.
Not all tasks have the same level of significance. Some can be more important than others, time-sensitive, while others can wait until later in the day. Make a detailed list of your tasks and arrange them in order of priority. This prepares your mind to deal with the big stuff and helps you complete your to-do on time.
Know what works for you
We all are not the same. What works for one entrepreneur in running a successful business may not work for you. There are several strategies and processes involved in achieving business goals. Leadership style, production methods, marketing strategy, etc., are not always the same for every business. Study yourself and your environment to better understand your strengths and limitations. Don’t waste time trying to copy someone else’s way of running their business just because it works for them in their unique situation.
Take a break
You are human and will occasionally need some time off from work. When you notice you are tired and forcing yourself to understand things or finish a task, it’s time to call it quits. Things will take longer to complete during this time and may not be as effective as they would be if you were energized.
You can use the Pomodoro technique to schedule your breaks. Taking a break does not imply that you are unproductive. It makes you refuel your energy and bounce back to work much better.
Avoid distractions and procrastination
Most times when we have serious work in front of us, our minds look for an escape. And we jump at the first chance we get. Emails, social media, notifications and phone calls are big distractions. If you struggle with procrastination, distractions will make things worse.
You need to be willing to put in some work to get distractions and procrastination out of your way.
Say no often
As an entrepreneur, you already have your hands full and overflowing with obligations to your business and personal life. You sincerely do not have the luxury of saying “yes” to every demand others place on your time and energy. If you don’t learn to say no even when someone says please, you will end up with too much on your plate.
Before you say yes and add another favor to your to-do list, consult your schedule. Stall and see if you can direct the requests to someone with more time on their hands.
Don’t be a lone wolf
Delegate and outsource tasks, you may be an experienced entrepreneur but you can’t do it all by yourself. Even if you have got the expertise to handle every aspect of the business, you most definitely don’t have the time. So, if your business has employees you can delegate to them. If you need a professional service, then you can outsource an expert.
Outsourcing or delegation will not only save you time but will help your business grow. A Gallup study revealed that CEOs who delegate correctly bring in a 33% higher revenue than those who do not.
Set deadlines
Parkinson’s law states that “Work expands to fill the time available for its completion.” So, if you have a task that can be done in two hours, you could spend two days working on it if two days is the deadline you created.
Set a smaller time limit for your tasks. That will keep you on your toes and prompt you to work faster. Reward yourself for keeping the artificial deadlines and vice versa.
Automate your processes
Be open to using technology to improve how you run your business. Where possible, move from manual operations to automatic processes. Automation will make your work faster and error-free.
Also, you can use productivity apps to improve your ability to manage time, create schedules and focus on deep work.
Health is wealth
You have a lot of responsibility as an entrepreneur, but it should not be at the expense of your health. Good health is essential for staying productive. If you fall ill, your work is put on hold and you spend a lot more time and resources recovering than you would have spent on staying healthy.
Skipping meals, getting insufficient sleep, and overworking yourself are all bad for your health. Take care of your health in addition to your business.
Conclusion
Every business owner wants to get things done quickly, but not everyone knows how. The majority of them have no idea how they spend their time or where they may improve. Working on the suggestions above will surprise you at how much you can accomplish in a short period.