Archive for the ‘Business Time Management’ Category

How To Make Time For Your Home Business

Tuesday, September 25th, 2007

This time management article comes from the place of using your time more efficiently by planning out your day first. It gives some very straight forward ideas and a good followup article to this one would be to mention tools and strategies that would help with the planning of the day. And to also go into the benefits of planning out the week and the month.
Almost everyone needs or wants more money coming in, and with this desire most would like to start some sort of extra income-producing project. The trouble is, not many of these people seem able to fit “a second job” into their time schedules.

It’s true that most people are busy, but extra time for some sort of home-based extra income-producing project can almost always be found. It may mean giving up or changing a few of your favorite pastimes – such as having a couple of beers with the guys or watching TV – but if you score big with your extra income project, you will have all the time you want for doing whatever you want to do.

The first thing to do is to sit down with pencil and paper and list your daily schedule. What time do you wake up? Then step-by-step, list everything you do each day. Most people will find that they have about three hours each day that can be utilized in a more constructive or efficient manner. As we’ve noted above, you may have to give up the time you waste in your local pub or a few television programs you watch, but it will be worth it in the long run.

Efficient time management boils down to planning what you’re going to do, and then doing it without backtracking. Start by making a list of the things you want to do tomorrow, each evening before you go to bed. Schedule your trips to the store or wherever to coincide with the other things you have to do, and with your trips to or from work. Organize your trips to take care of as many things as possible while you’re out of the house. Take stock of the time you spend standing around shooting the breeze – especially the time you spend on the telephone – and eliminate all that isn’t necessary.

Whatever chores you have to do at home, set aside a specific time to do them, and a specific amount of time to devote to them. For instance, just one hour a day devoted to yard work would probably make your property the envy of all your neighbors. Don’t try to do a week’s work in one big flurry. Whether it’s painting your house, fixing leaky faucets, or mowing your lawn and trimming your shrubs, do a part of it, or one particular job each day, and you’ll be amazed at your progress.

Take care of all your mail the day you receive it. Don’t let those bills and letters pile up on you. If you’re unable to pay a bill immediately, file it in a special place that’s visible, and note on the envelope the date you intend to pay it. Answer your letters the same day you get them.

The important thing is to think of time as your most valuable asset, because it is. So organize! Decide what you have to do, and what you want to do. From there, it’s just a matter of arranging priorities.

Once you start listing and planning what you want to do, and then carry out your plans, you’ll find plenty of “extra time” for handling virtually any kind of home-based income-producing project. People in general may not like routines or schedules, but without some sort of plan as to what is supposed to be done, the world would be mired in mass confusion

Laws, ordinances and regulations are for the purpose of guiding people. We live according to an accepted plan or way of life, and the better we can organize ourselves, the more productive and happy we become.

The secret of all financially successful people is simply that they are organized and do not waste time. Think about it. Review your own activities, and then see if you can’t find a couple of extra hours in each day for more constructive accomplishments.

When you begin planning, and then when you really become involved in an extra in come-producing endeavor, you should work it exactly as you have organized your regular day-to-day activities – on a time-efficient basis. Do what has to be done immediately. Don’t try to get done in an hour something that’s realistically going to take a week. Plan out on paper what you have to do – what you want to do – and when you are going to do it. Then get right on each project without procrastination.

Finally, and above all else, when you’re organizing your time and your business, be sure to set aside some time for relaxation. Be sure to schedule time when you and your spouse can be together. You must not involve yourself in anything to an extent that you exclude other people – particularly your loved ones – from your life.

Taking stock of the time you waste each day, and from there, reorganizing your activities is what it’s all about. It’s a matter of becoming more efficient in the use of your time. It’s really easy to do, and you will not only accomplish a lot more, you will also find greater fulfillment in your life.

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[tags]home business, time management, planning[/tags]

How To Beat Procrastination At Work

Sunday, September 23rd, 2007

This is a good follow-up time management article to the previous one because it goes deeper into the mindset of how time is viewed by the individual, and talks about some of the habits we may have the cause us to not make the best use of our time. This article really discusses the some of the reasons we procrastinate and some of the solutions to overcome procrastination.

Listen. If you don’t beat procrastination at work the long
term consequences could be serious.

Take this example of how expensive work procrastination can
be…

The assignment that your boss gave you several days ago
still isn’t done. The assignment is a report that your
boss needs to take to an important meeting, and you may get
a big promotion if the meeting goes OK.

You’ve had plenty of time to get it done, but still just
don’t do it even though your future career could be in
jeopardy. What’s wrong with you?

You are one of the millions who procrastinate. You feel
inadequate, guilty, depressed and have low self-esteem.

Procrastination means avoiding doing tasks, which need to
be done – sometimes doing them at the last minute or
sometimes never doing them at all.

The reasons for procrastinating are as numerous as the
excuses one can make for not completing tasks.

A few of these reasons for procrastinating are listed below:

1. If you are a poor manager of your time and have
trouble identifying your objectives, you most likely are
overwhelmed by your tasks.

You try in vain to prioritize them, and failing at that
you’ve even been known to secretly throw a few written
requests into the trash, and later claiming you never got
them. You are a procrastinator.

2. You find it hard to concentrate. You may think
about what you’re going to cook for dinner or you daydream
about your next golf game. So you put off getting the job
done; you sit and think about it but take no action.

3. You may be easily distracted by outside influences
such as ringing telephones, other folk’s conversations, and
may even spend time performing “no-brainer” tasks such as
sharpening pencils, shuffling papers, or make endless trips
to the restroom or coffee bar.

4. Your self-esteem is very low. You have a negative
image of yourself and believe that you’re an underachiever
who can’t succeed at much of anything. You also may be
bored with the task at hand and lack enthusiasm.

But listen up – you CAN break the procrastination habit at
work as well as in every other area of your life.

Here are a few suggestions for beating procrastination:

1. Go on; admit that you have some fears and
anxieties about your ability to get the job done!

It’s a perfectly normal feeling, and once you face your
problems with concentration, time management, and the
inability to make a decision, you can take steps to change
them.

2. Instead of brooding about your problem areas,
identify your strong points, set your goals and priorities
and develop a “can do” attitude.

3. Use time wisely. The value you place on yourself
and your work has a direct bearing on your ability to do
your work in a timely, consistent manner.

4. Set priorities and perform each job accordingly.
Tackle the jobs you dislike aggressively; it’s best to get
them done and out of the way. Consider breaking large
assignments into smaller segments (if time allows).

5. Take a couple of minutes frequently to stand, stretch or
move about to energize both your body and your brain. If
possible, get some fresh air during breaks and your lunch
hour.

6. Take the initiative to change your work environment if
it causes distractions. Placing a barrier such as a tall
plant in front of your desk will block the view of
co-workers passing by.

Make sure you have the information and supplies at hand to
avoid the temptation to wander away from your work area.

A few changes in your attitude and work habits will make a
dramatic difference in the way you perform your work.

Eat That Frog!: 21 Great Ways to Stop Procrastinating and Get More Done in Less Time (BK Life)The Now Habit: A Strategic Program for Overcoming Procrastination and Enjoying Guilt-Free PlayThe Procrastinator's Handbook: Mastering the Art of Doing It NowProcrastination: Why You Do It, What to Do About ItIt's About Time!: The Six Styles of Procrastination and How to Overcome ThemTime Management for the Creative Person: Right-Brain Strategies for Stopping Procrastination, Getting Control of the Clock and Calendar, and Freeing Up Your Time and Your Life

Peter Murphy is a peak performance expert. He recently produced a
very popular free report that reveals how to crush procrastination and
sustain lasting motivation. Apply now because it is available for a limited
time only at: http://www.getmotivatedstaymotivated.com/special.htm

[tags]time management, procrastination, habit, work[/tags]

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Fail to Plan….or Plan to Fail

Thursday, November 2nd, 2006

This is an decent article about running a business and how the subject of time management fits into all of the other aspects of a business. The author says that time management is the key to business planning. His illustration of how he uses time management techniques for business is interesting, yet so common that we wouldn’t ordinarily think of it as a time management issue.

Running a business, whether it be an offline multi-billion
dollar company or an online part time [tag]home business[/tag], they
share many similar traits.

One of the biggest obstacles I have endeavoured to
translate to many, many [tag]small business[/tag] / home business
people, is a very simple phrase……’ Treat It Like a REAL
business, Because It IS a REAL Business’.

The fundemental reasoning behind so many failures in small
business, is the clear lack of willingness to act like a
real business. Many people may ‘ have a go ‘, they could ‘
give it a try ‘, or ‘ let’s see what happens ‘ – all with
the.. ‘ what have I got to lose? ‘ attitude. THAT, my
friends, is one of the biggest secrets to FAILURE.

OK – s let’s assume that your small business / home
business / BizOp etc., is NOT you main source of income. It
is NOT responsible for putting food in you family’s
stomachs, it is NOT what keeps a roof over your head…..
it is NOT the sole form of income that you, your family and
your Bank Manager rely upon.

So look at it like this. If it WAS, would you put as much
effort into it as you do now? I can pretty much guarantee
that your efforts would be substantially more, because
everything relies on the success of your business,
via-a-vis the money your business generates.

Well, now we have ascertained that you should be running it
like a real business…….Are you?

  • Do you have a business plan?
  • Do you know each step that your business will take over the next week, month, year, three years….?
  • Have you prepared your agenda for acquiring new customers, products, joint venture partners?
  • Do you have a time-table of events?
  • How often do you research, analyse, read-up and check out your competitors?
  • When was the last time you contacted your client base?
  • Do you offer them special offers, free resources and reports? What about surverying them and asking for their opinions?
  • How often do you do all this?
  • Does your business have a ‘company objective’?
  • Has your ‘company’ it’s own ‘customer mission statement’?
  • Have you set yourself / your business targets….use my S.M.A.R.T. Principle…… …….targets which must be
    • Specific………….. each item / area of business must be targeted spcifically.
    • Measurable…….. be able to measure your targets, how much, how often etc.
    • Achievable……..don’t think that you can sell 2 million units if your competitors only sell 50 units.
    • Realisitc………….. behonest with yourself. Can it be done?
    • Time-bound…….give limitations and deadlines to whatever you are planning. Open-ended is no good.

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Do You Feel Overwhelmed Running A Web Business Try This

Tuesday, October 3rd, 2006

This is an interesting article by David Coyne on time management for internet marketers and web entrepreneurs. It takes the approach of determining your most important tasks and blocking out time to complete those tasks. It also makes a strong point to not get bogged down by email throughout the day, as that can suck up a lot of time.

One thing that fascinates me about [tag]web entrepreneurs[/tag] and marketers like Joe Vitale, Yanik Silver and Terry Dean is how incredibly productive they are. They seem to create a near constant stream of information products like e-books, special reports, courses, software and compact discs. On top of that, they juggle all the daily activities required by anyone running a [tag]small business[/tag]. If you have the resources, you can hire employees or contract workers. But I think most web entrepreneurs prefer to keep their businesses as “solo operations.” But handling everything yourself requires maximum efficiency. I certainly have my own techniques for time management, but I asked for feedback from other entrepreneurs. Here’s some of their solutions. “I always take about 30 minutes to an hour to look at my emails at the beginning of the day” says Stephanie Hetu (http://www.stephaniehetu.com) “Then, after that, I try to look at my emails again only every 2 hours or so. “When I started online I used to look at my emails every 10 minutes, this was very time consuming and counter-productive because you end up spending more time reading than actually BUILDING your business.” However, not everybody thinks checking email first thing is a good idea. “I always devote the first hour of the day to revenue producing activities,” says Bill Hibbler of the RudlReport (http://www.rudlreport.com) “I never check email or voice mail until after that hour is completed. “If you open your email first and find a refund request or a customer with a big tech support problem, it tends to stay on your mind and distract you from the task at hand.”

DETERMINE YOUR PEAK ENERGY PERIOD

One technique I used to help to me reach maximum efficiency was to figure out when my brain was most creative. For me, that’s the morning. During the hours of 9 am to noon, I do most of my creative tasks, such as writing my articles, editing my ezine, working on sales copy, or coming up with new marketing ideas for my website. My energy sags between noon and about 2:30pm. I use this time to do less mentally taxing activities. Answering email, fixing a typo on a web page or uploading pictures. Determine when your creative energy peaks. Maybe you’re more of a night owl and find this is the best time to work on projects that require creativity. Adjust your schedule accordingly.

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BUSTING WORKPLACE CLUTTER. Getting Organized Means More Than Having A Clean Desk

Wednesday, September 27th, 2006

This is a good article that explains why we spend so much wasted time in the business workplace. Organization is a big key to time management and clutter can really eat up a lot of time for the busy professional. Read on for more ways to combat clutter and truly manage your time at your business.

Imagine meeting an attorney for the first time, whose office is a cluttered mess – papers piled all over the desktop, mail and files scattered on the credenza, and an overloaded bookcase with stacks of books on top and on the floor. Regardless of the actual skill or reputation of that [tag]attorney[/tag], might your first impression be a negative one? Might your confidence in that attorney be lessened as well? In business, first impressions are important. Clutter in the workplace ranges from merely annoying to nearly paralyzing and is always detrimental to productivity. A cluttered work environment also projects an unfavorable image to clients and associates. When the desktop becomes a storage place rather than a [tag]workspace[/tag], it’s time to reorganize! Several factors contribute to a disorganized workspace, but here are three ways to combat the saboteurs:

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Are You an Entrepreneur That is Starved for Time

Wednesday, September 13th, 2006

This is a good article for entrepreneurs and how to deal with time management. It gives good reasons why entrepreneurs seem to be starved for time and what they can do to free up some of their time.

Being an entrepreneur and running a successful [tag]home-based business[/tag] is stressful at times, and can be hectic. Success within a home-based business though, absolutely demands time management skills, or the chores that need to get done will be left undone, and procrastination, as well as a serious “personal time deficiency” will occur.

Several studies have shown that many first-time [tag]entrepreneurs[/tag] spend too much time on “non-essential” activities within a business, activities that have nothing to do with business, or that have little impact on business success. At the end of each business day (when it finally ends), they are left feeling stressed out, burned out, separated from their personal lives, and worse yet, with a feeling of non-accomplishment and inefficiency.

You probably have met entrepreneurs like this occasionally in your own life. They constantly seem “busy”, yet they are constantly late for appointments, don’t ever have time to attend personal activities or outings, and are always stressed out about what still “needs to be done” each and every day!

A “personal time deficiency” occurs when an entrepreneur seems to spend all their time either working on the business, or thinking about the business. The entrepreneur can neglect family, friends, activities and personal pleasures, in pursuit of business functions. This is not only counter-productive to the business (creativity shines through when entrepreneurs also schedule time away from the business), but personal losses can occur to the entrepreneur. Horror stories abound about divorce among entrepreneurs, shattered family lives, and personal ruin.

What causes “personal time deficiencies”? A variety of factors: …

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