Small or big, all business owners need to manage their time and resources smartly and wisely to enhance their productivity. Any great business owner knows that your personal productivity helps determine your company’s productivity, so it’s crucial that you stay efficient.
Here are a few things you can do to get the ball rolling and keep it rolling.
1. Partition Your Time
Dedicate specific parts of your day to getting tasks done. A to-do list is not enough – without a schedule, you’re likely to forget something or spend too much time on something else, resulting in tasks falling through the cracks. Partitioning your time and scheduling tasks makes sure you have enough time for everything you need to do, and so you can delegate tasks you can’t do.
2. Set Persona Social Media Aside
Social media accounts are an important part of being a small business owner. Your personal brand can have a tremendous impact on your startup’s future. However, it can also consume your time. 10 minutes of checking it adds up throughout the day if you keep checking it every now and then. 10 minutes each hour still adds up to 80 minutes in an 8 hours workday. Put non-work related accounts away when you’re on the clock.
3. Remember That Failing is OK
Failure can be a real showstopper. It can rob many small business owners of their forward momentum. If they take it hard enough, failure can lead them down the road to ruin. If you want to achieve your goals, you can’t fear failure or let it take over your actions. Focus on learning from it.
4. Work During Your Best Hours
Your small business needs you at your best if you’re going to succeed. Unfortunately, many businessmen mistake high energy levels for their best hours. Just because you’re raring to go doesn’t mean you’re at your best. Think about when you’re most excited or passionate rather than when you’re energetic and schedule your best tasks for around that time.
5. Consider Finding Strategic Partners
Much like a good mentor, a strategic partner can provide you the boost you need to grow your business. Foster strategic partnerships by reaching out to businesses you think could benefit yours, whether they are suppliers, technology providers, or complementary businesses. A good relationship with another company can provide you both free advertising, lower your costs of doing business, or allow you to expand to new markets, depending on the partners you choose.
6.Remember Your Wins
It can easily feel like you’re going nowhere fast when you’re running a small business. The numbers aren’t where you want them to be, and it feels like nothing is going right. Part of the problem entrepreneurs face is the concept that big successes often show no indication they’re about to arrive, leaving many wondering if it is even on its way.Don’t spend your hours focusing entirely on what still needs doing. If you want to survive, you’ll have to look at what you’ve accomplished. Every success, no matter how small, still helps your business. Use those successes to push you forward.Setting goals is only the first part of the process. Then, for your small business to thrive, you must achieve them.
Remember, sometimes it’s a matter of organizing your thoughts and making sure you have enough time for everything. Other times, it’s a matter of remembering what you’ve done up to this point. Whatever it is, do what you need to do so you get things done.