For most small
businesses, time is often a source of frustration. Not having enough time,
how to balance time between life and work, time is money, and many other
aspects of time management that can be overwhelming. The truth of the matter
is, taking the time to figure out how to best utilize this precious resource is
vital to running a successful company. This month’s series is focused on
gifting your business what it needs for growth in the new year. Gifting your
business the commodity of time will lower stress and increase profit.
Be Strategic
December is the month for thinking about what you will do
next year. Diving blinding into it without a plan is wasting valuable time,
effort and energy. Take a few hours to plot out what each month should look
like – goals, priorities, and desired results. Having a month-to-month outline
will help you stay focused and on task. If you aren’t sure how to accomplish
this, or what your year should look like, it may be time to invest in a business coach
to help you get on track.
Use Technology
New apps and devices are being created every day with the
goal of helping businesses get ahead. It is important to find tools that both streamline and automate
processes. Does it make your life easier? Does it speed up output? Then it is
worth investing in. Be cautious of having too many tools and spreading yourself
too thin. Also, if a tool is more hassle
than you thought it would be, don’t hesitate to change your game plan. The time
involved in trying to figure out a complicated tool or in bouncing between
various options is a waste. Take the time this month to ask fellow business
owners and entrepreneurs what tools they love – and absolutely hate.
Eat the Frog
We all have a project that we put off because we know it is
going to take more time and energy than the others – or simply because we can’t
stand doing it. A popular time
management phrase is ‘Eat the Frog’, which basically means do this project
first. Get it out of the way. That way you can power through your other tasks
without this one looming overhead.
Outsource &
Delegate
Another approach to dealing with tasks you don’t like or don’t
have time for is to either delegate or outsource
the work. It can be hard for some leaders and entrepreneurs to give up some of
their work. However, this could mean freeing up your schedule to focus on
business growth instead of daily tasks and projects. Find a reliable, talented
and trustworthy individual and begin unloading time consuming tasks to others.
Evaluate Meetings
Meetings are often unavoidable. However, try to keep them to
a minimum. Ask yourself just how valuable or necessary the appointment is. If
it’s absolutely necessary, be sure to go in with an agenda or outline to keep
everyone on task. Time each agenda item. If the problem hasn’t been resolved
within the timeframe, task attendees
to go back and problem solve and come up with solutions at a future meeting.
Don’t allow people to sidetrack or derail the meeting.
Prioritize
It can be easy getting caught up in checking voicemail,
responding to emails or checking social media. It’s true that these tasks need
to be accomplished
but it’s ridiculous how often, and how many times, you do this throughout the
day. Put aside time each day to accomplish these low priority tasks. Time
yourself and do it at the point of the day where you are typically least
productive. If your most productive energy is first thing in the morning, don’t
waste that time checking your email. If the 2 PM slump usually slows you down,
that might be the perfect opportunity to tackle the least important projects.
Time is an easy resource to waste. Not having a plan up
front will ensure that time is not used wisely. #GiftYourBusiness the full
extent of the time and resources
you have available by giving thought and planning to how you will use your time to #BeAwesome
next year.
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Hollie Clere, of The Social Media Advisor is a "#BeAwesome" Developer, Social Media Brand Builder, Content Manager, Trainer and Author in LinkedIn,Facebook, Twitter, Blog, Google+ , YouTube,Pinterest, Instagram and the tools to manage them.
Click here for her Social Media Workshops, Classes and Seminars.
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