Posts Tagged ‘entrepreneur’

Freelancer’s Time Management Tools – Which are Best?

Monday, April 5th, 2010

Freelancers and entrepreneurs are those professionals that truly require some form of time management that will allow them to manage projects, clients, interruptions, training, and then their own much needed time for rejuvenation.  As an entrepreneur, you have to really be self motivated, and the more support you have to help you keep on track, the more efficient you can be with your workload.  In this article, the author discusses some of the time management tools that will help an entrepreneur or freelancer be able to reach their goals.


Each and every year there are always a slew of so called “new” and “innovative” time management methods. As a freelancer you have more than likely run into the time management problem. New clients pop up unexpectedly, old ones need some rework and just life in general making a mess of things. You have probably also read a few time management articles or books, and that’s ok. The more you know, the better you are off. But if none of those have worked for you then you need to go back to the basics.

The best and most well known time management system is the good old pen and paper. You don’t need some sleek expensive management system, nor some fancy complicated to-do list. The pen and paper work because they have worked well since the dawn of civilization. What does this mean? This means simple works, and simple is what you want to get your freelance life in order.

With the pen and paper, you create at least two lists. I say at least two because depending on your situation you will want to plan further ahead or just need more specialized lists. Though with two lists you can get started very well.

One list is for your daily tasks. Each and every day you write down what you have to do that whole day. This way, you can start your day off very well and organized. You will know exactly what you do and what you do not have time for.

You can also create a list the day before during the evening. This way, you know what you completed that day, since it’s fresh in your mind, and be able to plan the next day accordingly.

After you have planed the most immediate tasks and repetitive daily tasks, it’s time to schedule in what you need to do during the week. This tasks include longer goals, projects that don’t need to be completed immediately and anything that only occurs weekly. These are your weekly goals, such as finishing a 20 article project, designing a full website or even your weekly shopping.

Just by using these two lists you can make your freelance life a lot easier. If you want to plan ahead further, for example, you can use a 3rd and 4th list for monthly and yearly goals.

If pen and paper are just not your thing there are a few simple computer programs to help you along. One of the most prominent is Remember The Milk. It is in essence a very handy To-Do list with easy daily and weekly scheduling. Also, if you want to get a bit more in depth you can use Remember The Milk along with Google Calender for complete control.

Using both together will allow you to schedule daily tasks easily while still being able to setup far in the future tasks in a nice visual calendar. Plus, with Google Calendar you can also setup e-mail reminders to help you remember what you need to do that day, week or month.

Piotr Krzyzek is a young, energetic technology entrepreneur. His childhood passion for computers evolved into rapidly growing start-ups and a desire to share information. As he continues his studies on computer programming in Europe, he manages his businesses and helps others use emerging technologies. In addition to Linux specialties, he is honing his knowledge of Internet Marketing and Joint Ventures. Follow Piotr’s most recent technological discoveries at his technical business blog: PiotrKrzyzek.com


More Time Management Tools for Entrepreneurs and Freelancers:

How To Increase Freelancer Online Income By Diversifying Time …

Time is gold here and without time you could work as a freelancer. You may be doing a day job full-time and its tough for you to find time to work on freelancing sites. I agree, time management plays a vital role for freelancers. …

Publish Date: 03/30/2010

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Time Management For the Young Entrepreneur

Monday, March 22nd, 2010

In this article, the author discusses the time management for the entrepreneur that is starting out.  What I like is the way the time is described, which works very well for business professionals.  You are basically dividing your time between activities that generate revenue, and those that don’t.  In this way, you can really get a handle on where you should be spending your time to reach your goals.  From here, you can determine what tasks you need to outsource first as well.  Read on for more on this type of time management strategy.


The Action Machine – Get More Done And Quit Spinning Your Wheels!


The Article:

Time Management is a very popular topic. For a human construct, time certainly has created a groundswell of interest. Research tells us that more people go to workshops and seminars to learn how to make the most of every moment than any other topic. Explore any bookshop or search the Web and you’ll find more information about time management than any other topic. I believe that true entrepreneurs operate according to a different time management model than others. Read on.

Most entrepreneurs have progressed through two economies-the ‘Time-and-Effort Economy’ and the ‘Results Economy’. Through the latter, entrepreneurs eventually and inevitably arrive at an entrepreneurial system of time management.

The ‘Time-and-Effort Economy’ is familiar to most of us. Its central feature is something called a ‘job’. Most people had one at some stage or another. The time-and-effort economy has a very effective time system. It’s called the Bureaucratic Time System and it consists of work hours, work days, work weeks. It’s been in operation for about 200 years and it was designed to make sure that people turned up to work, did their jobs, and went home. And after 65 years of doing this, they retired-they had to, they were worn out. They’d given their best years to their job and then it was time to get ready for the appearance of the Grim Reaper, which, in the 1930s, was about 18 months after retirement.

At some stage along the way, some people review their progress and say, ‘Wait a minute, I can do better myself.’ Entrepreneurs are born. These people are prepared to live by the code that they get paid for their own unique talents and payment occurs only when they add value to a service offering. Those who are not prepared to take the considerable risk involved remain adherents to the Bureaucratic Time System and opt to climb the promotional ladder, opt out, or continue along a path of their choosing.

As entrepreneurs continue their development, they realize that the Bureaucratic Time System that previously satisfied them no longer meet their needs. If they’re lucky, their search leads them to the Entrepreneurial Time System.

There are only three kinds of time you can have.
1. FREE TIME
2. FOCUS TIME
3. BUFFER TIME.

Free Time is exactly what it says. It’s your time to do with as you please-read a book, go fishing, spend quality time with your loved ones, etc. Free Time is no mobile phone, no work-related reading, no ‘shop talk’. The moment you allow a workplace interruption, your Free Day has ended. If you’re going to include Free Time in your calculations, it must come off the top. You must organize your Free Time, first. Some entrepreneurs organize their Free Time years in advance and are very reluctant to change this allocation because they see that they ‘grow’ during Free Time.

You’ll probably have about 100 Focus Days-a-year. These are the days when you’re focused on your key fee-generating tasks. You could be on assignment somewhere or office-bound working on a specific project. Those who know you will know that you can’t be interrupted during your Focus Day.

Buffer Days allows you to have Focus Days. On these days you are not held accountable for earnings. Most people, it seems, spend their whole working life having Buffer Days-a little bit of Free Time, a little bit of Focus Time, and a little bit of Buffer Time.

Old habits die hard; that’s why this article targets young entrepreneurs. Changing from a Bureaucratic to an Entrepreneurial Time System is something young entrepreneurs will find easier to do than others. There remains just one question that needs to asked. What specifically is it that you’re doing when you’re operating in an Entrepreneurial Time System? Those activities will be addressed in another article.

Dr Neil Flanagan knows heaps about successful management and managing. He has separated the practical ideas of management know-how from its entangling theory and jargon and made it available to you @ http://www.management2go.com And while you’re there, download a FREE gift, a FREE e-Topic, and sign-up for a regular newsletter that will link you to a worldwide network of people just like you. If you’d like more information about issues raised in this article, go to http://www.management2go.com/products/Start-Your-Own-Business.html


So what are your ideas on Time Management?  What tips and tools do you use as a business owner to make the most out of the time you have? Leave a comment below.

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Working At Home And Time Management

Friday, March 19th, 2010

This article discusses how time management should be approached when you are at home. It gives a number of tips that should be used when the business entrepreneur is working from home. It does require an additional inner strength to keep on track and not get distracted. Read on for more in this subject.

Time management and organization is so important in life and when it comes to working at home it is doubly important. As a matter of fact Time management, organization, schedules are all prominent in any successful organization.

Time is the one thing that we do not have enough of it is the one thing in life that is constant. Time will wait for no one so we have to utilize it the best way we can.

It makes no sense to try and cram everything in to a short space of time because it will become counter productive. can you imagine a plumber trying to make a deadline of finishing 3 days work in one day. His work would become sloppy he would make mistakes then he would have to go over the job again.

So really the answer to the question of not having enough time is organisation, writing schedules and keeping a diary. This is vital for a home based entrepreneur!

Organisation means keeping all your documents, invoices, accounts and everything you use in your business in their proper place. This will save time because you will know where everything is It will also lead to a less stressful home/working environment.

Keeping a diary, filo-fax or some kind of personal organizer is a vital business tool for obvious reasons.

Another system that is invaluable is writing rotas or schedules. Now it is no point writing a great schedule and not sticking to it is there? When one writes a schedule they must take into account all the aspects of their work and there family life. remember when working at home a happy work environment will lead to more productivity which equals more profits.

When writing a schedule It is important to encompass everything that could mean taking the children to school, shopping feeding the dog. as well as all your business commitments. Always make time for the family, especially when working at home. Make sure you have an arrangement with your spouse about your working hours, and that the children realise as well. Of course If you have younger children you have to give a bit more of your time or get child minders.

Having an office or a part of the house where you can work undisturbed would be fantastic. because you can then have all your tools i.e computer, telephone, files and stationary in one place. Hence saving an immense amount of time.

Planning is another useful skill to have in the quest to save time and be more productive you should take a couple of hours in the beginning of the week to plan for the coming 2 weeks. Again take everything into account then write your schedule.

Having planned your schedule for 2 weeks give yourself some leeway like an extra half an hour in between chores. As you never no what can pop up.

So in summary to help in having a smooth profitable home business you must be organized. Plan your weeks ahead then write your schedule remembering to be flexible. Let your family know what your schedule is and you will find that time is not a problem at all.

Copyright © Terry Stewart

Terry Stewart Is a successful home based business person who has been a chef for many years. He has transferred some skills to his present business eg. organisation and I for detail. This article is the copyright of Terry Stewart.

Terry Stewart publishes a daily newsletter packed with the best resources and ideas for the net entrepreneur. To subscribe mailto:telnelbiz@getresponse.com

http://www.telnelbiz.com

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Living Life In A Time Starved World

Monday, October 8th, 2007

This is a good time management article that shows us all of the areas involved in creating effective time management strategies. It also combines how goal setting affects time management and the importance of setting goals. This is a good basic time management article in general.

Recently I saw an advertisement for a time management booklet: “Shorter deadlines, competing priorities, endless meetings, interruptions and even higher quality expectations are just some of today’s time challenges. And yet the number of hours in the day remains the same.”

As entrepreneurs we all struggle sometimes with managing our time effectively. I once heard an entrepreneur say that of the people he knows, his entrepreneur friends are the worst people when it comes to managing their time and priorities. Too often we fall prey to the misguided notion that being busy is the same as making progress.

There are many areas involved in effective time management:
• your attitude
• goal setting
• setting priorities
• planning
• scheduling
• analyzing your progress
• dealing with interruptions
• meetings
• paperwork
• delegation of tasks
• taming procrastination
• time teamwork

KEY PRINCIPLES

Here are some key principles I have found to help me manage my time more effectively:

1. Good habits are the key to good time management.
The essence of good time management is creating good habits. A good habit to develop is to focus on results. Setting goals and striving to reach them must become a habit. Before your next meeting, think to yourself-what is my goal in doing this or meeting with this person? What specific results would I like to see come from my time? You must learn to place a high value on your time. There are a million things, advertisements, books, media events and people vying for it. You must distinguish between what and who is important and what or who is not. This might sound a little harsh at first, but focusing on results in developing your habits will help you focus yourself and your time.

2. Good habits start with setting goals.

There are several points to remember when setting good goals.

First is to write your goals down. Studies have shown that you are much more likely to accomplish your goals if they are committed to paper. As someone once said, “A short pencil is better than a long memory.”

A second point is to break down your goals into three categories: short, intermediate and long term. I would advocate that you should have a separate list for your personal, professional and life goals. The personal goal list would cover areas like: personal relationships, use of free time, personal growth activities, reading up on a particular topic, taking continuing education classes or seminars, etc. Your professional goal list should be clearly focused on building your business, increasing revenues, cutting costs, strategic planning, marketing, employee management, creating partnerships and meeting beneficial business contacts. Your life goals would cover the broader picture of what you want to accomplish in life and what who you want to be remembered for.

3. Pursuing specific goals is the key to reaching success.

Setting good goals requires some planning and concentrated effort. Far too many entrepreneur have good intentions for their business, but lack goals that are specific enough to help them achieve success. Most entrepreneurs who fail to reach their goals do so because they fail to make specific, or S.M.A.R.T. goals.

S.M.A.R.T. goals are:

Specific. Your goal should be as detailed as possible. For example, “I will call all new prospective clients I met at the last networking event by this Wednesday at noon.” “I will take a vacation at least three weeks this next year.”

Measurable. Good goals allow you to quantify your efforts. “My company will increase top line sales to repeat customers by 2% this quarter by determining what their current needs are and developing a service to meet their needs before anyone else does. We will do this by surveying each of them and following up with a personalized phone call to clarify their answers.”

Achievable. It is good to set your goals high, but not impossibly high. “I will meet three new venture capitalists this month and begin building a relationship with them with the purpose of seeking funding from them in the next six months.” “I will re-write the three primary sections of my website by this next month to better reflect who my new targeted customer is and to help them find the solutions they are looking for more quickly on my site.”

Result-oriented. In order for your goals to be SMART, they must focus on what you DO want, not what you do NOT want. For example, a goal of “I do not want to fail in my business” focuses on what you do NOT want. An example of a SMART goal is, “I will increase my passive income by 15% this year by writing a “How To” manual on “10 Steps to Small Business Forward Financial Planning” and sell it on a website for $89.99.”

Time-limited. Put a specific time limit on your goals and have someone hold you accountable for reaching that goal. “I will finish researching my marketing strategy within the next six weeks and then spend two hours a day for three weeks until I finish developing my customized marketing plan.”

QUESTIONS TO ASK

Every one of us has 168 hours in a week. How we spend our time and prioritize our life says a lot about how successful we will be personally and professionally. There are many things that compete for our time: finances, future plans, family, fun, friends, present goals, pressing projects and pushy people. I heard someone once say, if you don’t control your time someone else will.

When thinking about how to successfully manage your time, here are a couple questions to ask yourself:

• Do I have specific things I want to accomplish each day?
• What percent of the time do I meet my daily goals?
• What specific things do I do to manage my time successfully?
• What are the priorities in my life?
• Does my schedule reflect those priorities?
• How successful do you feel in managing your time effectively?

Stephen Fairley, M.A., RCC is the President of Today’s Leadership Coaching, a premier executive coaching and training firm, and a Registered Corporate Coach (RCC). Today’s Leadership Coaching focuses on “Developing Leaders Who Deliver Results.” You can contact him at 630-588-0500 or at Stephen@TodaysLeadership.com

© 2001 by Stephen Fairley. All rights reserved. Please contact author for reprints

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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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