Many small business owners complain that there isn’t enough time in the day. Between meeting with customers, picking up materials, supervising jobs, delivering products, doing the books, returning phone calls, and more, there always seems to be more do to than time allows.
But the problem isn’t the amount of time in a day. There always has been and always will be 24 hours in each day. The problem is trying to do too much, that is, having more tasks to perform than time will permit. The problem is poor time management.
Time is a resource. Unlike other resources, time cannot be replenished. We cannot purchase more time. Therefore, we must manage our time efficiently if we wish to accomplish more. There are 5 essential ways to manage time more efficiently:
1. Delegate—Give employees more responsibility to free up your time. Picking up materials or routine paperwork are candidates for delegation. Assign mundane or routine tasks to others.
2. Outsource—Hire others to perform certain tasks, such as bookkeeping or graphics design. Don’t try to do-it-yourself when it may be more efficient and effective to hire a professional. You are an expert in your field—hire those who are an expert in theirs.
3. Planning—Make daily and weekly to-do lists. To-do lists help keep you focused and can help avoid forgetting important tasks. Planning your time will help you use it more efficiently.
4. Prioritize—Focus on those tasks that move you closer to your long-term goals. Keep the big picture in mind. Spend your time on those tasks that require your attention and cannot be delegated or outsourced.
5. Just Say No—Don’t over commit yourself. If you don’t control your time, others will do it for you. Learn to say know no rather than take on another commitment that will rob you of precious time and not more you towards your goals.
The 5 methods mentioned above are methods for managing time more efficiently. To be most effective, each requires specific steps—i.e., a system.
A system is an interrelated whole in which multiple parts work together to accomplish a task. In business, a system refers to the procedures by which the business operates. If those procedures are consistent, explicit, and integrated, they can lead to desired results. If they are contradictory, vague, and disconnected, results will be inconsistent. The same applies to time management.
If we wish to use our time efficiently, we must identify the specific actions that will lead to that result. And then we must undertake those actions. An example would be spending 10 minutes at the end of each day creating a plan for the next day—making a to-do list, identifying priorities, etc. If this was done consistently, each day would begin with a plan.
By being pro-active you can manage your time more efficiently. Rather than allow outside events to dictate your activities, focus your efforts on those tasks that will take you closer to your goals. Anything that won’t help you accomplish your goals may not be worth doing.
