Managing your time effectively is not merely a skill, it’s an art!
And, time management as an entrepreneur is a different ball game altogether!
You cannot even think of stepping onto the tech battlefield (yes, we mean the highly competitive marketplace) without knowing at least the basics of time management.
Don’t worry! We’ve got some great time management tips for you.
Pay attention to the time management strategies we’ll outline, because the better you are at managing time well, the higher your productivity will be.
In this blog, we’ll walk you through a few simple yet effective time management tips that will make time management easy for busy entrepreneurs. Let’s dive in!
Table of Contents
- Start Your Day Early
- Schedule Everything
- Make Technology Your New Best Friend
- Learn to Prioritise Your Tasks
- Focus on One Task at a Time
- Hold Yourself to High Standards
- Delegate Work Judiciously
- Automate Whenever and Wherever Possible
- Overcome the Initial Lethargy
- Set Aside Some ‘Me-Time’
- Study Time Management
1. Start Your Day Early
Now, this might seem like a blow to the stomach to you if you’re a self-proclaimed night owl. But, if you want to reap the benefits of time management, you gotta be the early bird that gets the worm!
We have a limited number of hours (no matter how badly we want each day to be at least 35 hours long), and waking up early helps you utilise your hours judiciously.
You’ll also be fresher (after you’ve downed your morning cup of coffee), have more energy, and a sound mind and body that is ready to tackle the day head-on!
Starting your day early might seem daunting if you’re not a morning person, but it gives you a lot of time to plan and schedule your day. Which brings us to the next point.
2. Schedule Everything
If you want to make it as a successful entrepreneur, you need to learn to schedule your day in the most effective way.
We schedule our work so that it helps us prioritise our tasks and achieve our goals and targets within the stipulated deadlines. If your schedule is well thought out, then your chances of completing all your tasks successfully will be much higher.
Pro-tip: for a successful schedule, leave some buffer room.
It helps to keep your day flexible to incorporate last-minute priority tasks (yes, you know the ones we’re talking about!). If your tasks are aligned well, you’ll know exactly what to move around to make room for the urgent tasks.
Also Read: 10 Tips For Successful Startup Product Development.
3. Make Technology Your New Best Friend
Saved time is earned time. Sure, you don’t have more than 24 hours a day, but it is up to you to ensure that each minute is well-spent.
And that’s where technology comes to your aid. With the help of the great technological tools that come with smart devices (also read as life savers!), you can save yourself a huge chunk of time daily.
Time consuming tasks can be simplified with the help of technology, thus making time management easier for business owners. Think about how even the simplest of technology like digital calendars have made your life so much easier.
4. Learn to Prioritise Your Tasks
A great time management strategy is learning how to prioritise your tasks.
We often tend to waste time on small, unimportant tasks because they’re easier, or simply at the top of our lists. This can cause bottlenecks in your business flow if you do not get enough time to sit on the important tasks.
When you prioritise your tasks, try to prioritise them in order of importance, and then in order of how much time it will take to finish off each task.
Once you find the right balance between the important tasks and the time-consuming tasks, you will be better equipped to don the entrepreneurial hat. Check out our blog on why startups fail and how to make them successful.
5. Focus on One Task at a Time
Effective time management is not only about waking up early and making a list of things you need to finish by the end of the day. It’s also about getting things done (and done right) so that you can keep checking off those boxes on your task list!
And in order to complete tasks in a productive way, you need to give your full attention to each task you’re handling. Focus on the task at hand and do not let yourself be distracted by other tasks till the first one is done and dusted.
A recent study done by the Rescue Time reveals that switching tasks incessantly can hamper your overall output. Meanwhile, your productivity increases if you focus on one task at a time.
6.Hold Yourself to High Standards
You need to set the bar you want others to raise.
Hold yourself to the highest of standards when it comes to...well, everything! Accountability, productivity, quality of work, you name it!
When you set good expectations for yourself, your productivity will automatically increase as you strive to achieve your goals.
7. Delegate Work Judiciously
You cannot handle all the tasks associated with running a business by yourself. That’s where your team comes in, armed with unique skill sets.
You can increase the productivity of your overall team when it comes to completing tasks if you delegate tasks according to your team mates’s strengths.
For example, if you own a restaurant, you won’t be asking the busboys to cook the main dishes, right? They are more efficient at waiting on tables and giving customers a good dining experience, hence those will be the tasks most suited for their role.
Read our blog: How to Optimise Your Team for Business Growth.
8. Automate Whenever and Wherever Possible
Automation is the best productivity hack you can do for your business processes to run smoothly. You can save a lot of effort through automation and spend your time on the things that matter most.
And, automation shouldn’t be limited to the big tasks like inventory management, for example. We’re talking small and big and everything in between! If you can automate even your stand up meetings, then that’s even better.
Takeaway: Automate whenever and wherever possible.
9. Overcome the Initial Lethargy
We are all under Newton’s law. We tend to stay in a state of rest unless acted upon by an external push.
The initial lethargy that holds us back can close off a lot of opportunities for new entrepreneurs. Learn to condition your mind to overcome that initial laziness and you’ll be good to go!
Waking up early is definitely a great place to start!
10.Set Aside Some ‘Me-Time’
Wait a second.
Aren’t we the ones who always tell you to be prepared to work around the clock if you want to be an entrepreneur?
Yes.
While it is true that you will have to slog to get to the top, it’s also true that you need breaks in between. So, don’t forget to get enough rest.
While our minds and bodies are amazing and capable of producing outstanding outputs, they need a rejuvenating break too. Otherwise, you won’t be able to keep your body running in the long run.
Use your “me-time” any way you want. Find a hobby, go jogging, learn a new language, as long as it relaxes you.
You can even hire a virtual assistant who will handle your routine tasks like scheduling meetings and sending connection requests, leaving you free to spend some quality time by yourself.
11. Study Time Management
This is the quickest tip we can give you, and probably the most effective one in the long run.
Some are born with an innate love for organising schedules and jotting down dates on calendars. However, most of the poor souls out there pick up the art of time management out of an absolute necessity.
So, take a course on time management if you think you’re not doing the best job managing your time wisely. It’s really never too late for learning!
If you study how to manage your time wisely, you’ll start understanding which areas you tend to waste your time. A good course will also help you figure out ways to rectify your shortcomings in the time management department.
So, what are you waiting for?! Time to start learning!
Conclusion
It doesn’t matter if you’re an entrepreneur or not. Time management is an essential skill that you must develop to make the most out of your life.
And if you’re trying to make it in the cutthroat world of entrepreneurs, then you definitely need to learn how to manage your time wisely.
We hope we’ve driven home the importance of time management. Now, let’s put your time management skills to the test!
Stop squandering your time and start brainstorming innovative ideas for your startup business!
If you’ve mastered the art of time management, you’re one step closer to being your own boss! Now, it’s time to test if you’re ready to start your own business!
