17 Effective Time Management Tips for Busy Entrepreneurs [Infographic]

In the modern era, every entrepreneur has to deal with unique challenges. The goal of every entrepreneur is to look for profit-making opportunities. While trying to achieve the goal, anyone can struggle to manage time. No matter how smart you are, you won’t get more than 24 hours in a day.

Have you ever wondered how some people seem to have enough time, while others don’t?

Well, it’s all about time-management skill.

 

What Is Time Management?

Time management is basically a trick with which you won’t let time control you. It includes:

• planning and organizing
• setting goals and objectives
• delegation of responsibilities
• setting deadlines
• prioritizing activities as per their importance
• right allocation of time to the right task

Practicing good time management helps you perform better. Things will become easier for you and you’ll be benefited in terms of –

• improved productivity and efficiency
• a better professional reputation
• less amount of stress
• increased opportunities for advancement
• greater chances to reach the pinnacle of success

However, it does not happen overnight!

It’s a thorough process that you have to learn day by day.

As an entrepreneur, if you want to manage your time properly, you’re in the right place.

Here, you’ll find a comprehensive guide that will show you EXACTLY how to manage your time effectively for your business.

Just keep reading…

#1: Have A Positive Approach

Can you remain positive even when faced with a time challenge?

Well, as an entrepreneur, you can come across huge workload on any given day. In such situations, think how to cope up with the work pressure and proceed accordingly.

Here are some time management tips and tricks that may intensify your approach –

• Simplify the way you work and believe in yourself.
• Focus on making good decisions.
• Look on the bright side of your business plans.
• Don’t ponder over the things that you can’t control.
• Don’t worry about failing.
• Find a method that works for you.

If you are guided by a purpose, then you’ll surely find the right ways to execute your plans.

No one can be a Steve Jobs, Bill Gates, or Mark Zuckerberg overnight. These men also have faced several challenges but never got daunted by those. Take your failures as the biggest lessons.

The more positive you remain, the more you can get your work done within the stipulated time period.

#2: Set Goals

Maybe you are working REALLY hard…

Yet it seems that all the efforts are going in vain!

Have you ever wondered why so?

Often, there remains a BIG GAP between what you DREAM and what happens in REALITY!

Relax! there is a solution for you…

The initial exercise of knowing the requirements is very essential. For this, you need to set realistic goals for your business growth.

The process of setting goals provides a framework within which you need to work. Goal setting is the best way to transform lofty resolutions into achievable results.

The initial exercise of knowing exactly what you want is very essential. You need to devise a plan to achieve your goals. Each goal must be defined by the following criteria:

S – Specific

M – Measurable

A – Achievable

R – Realistic

T – Timely

Frame your goals in such a way so that the progress can be measured periodically. For this, it is important to have long-term as well as short-term targets. Breaking it down into small chunks helps you track the progress easily.

#3: Be Organized

“Creativity thrives on chaos!”

When you get too many plans regarding your business, those can often get cluttered.

Keep calm and ask yourself –

• Am I keeping the important documents at the right place?
• Is my important contact information getting stored in one place?
• Do I sort necessary stuffs periodically?
• What are my weekly goals?
• How can those be worthwhile on the long-term basis?

If you arrange everything systematically, things will be easy for you. And when the time comes, everything will be easily available within your reach. This can save your valuable time substantially.

However, being organized is not a one-time effort. You need to review your plans frequently and see what are yet to be done.

And once it becomes a habit, things will get done smoothly. Thus, you’ll be able to enjoy the advantages of being organized.

#4: Schedule Everything!

Want to be more functional and get more things done?

Stop juggling all the balls in the air at once!

CAPTURE your ideas on paper… all of them!

Scheduling is how you decide when these plans will be materialized. Schedule a specific time of the day to work on specific things. This strategy will keep you from getting a step “half done”. Eventually, everything that was planned for that day will be done.

To reduce your cognitive load, scheduling can –

• remind you everything that are needed to be accomplished
• provide idea about To-Do List regularly
• manage business calendar
• notify about important phone calls, meetings and events

Additionally, you may use various apps like – Schedule Once, Checkmark, Streaks, Google Calendar, which can help you digitally.

With these, you can utilize your time for thinking, not remembering!

#5: Prioritize Your Tasks

Ok, let’s say you’ve got a ‘to-do’ list now…

Seems to be cool!

But an entrepreneur’s workload is enormous.

What if it gets too heavy to be handled properly?

Don’t get stressed about how to get through it.

Know your personal and professional requirements and plan accordingly. Prioritizing is the key to staying focused.

When you attain clarity on your goals, it is much simpler to choose the things on the basis of their priority.

Ask yourself – “Is this taking me closer to my goals?”

If the answer is ‘No’, you know that you can postpone that task for later.

#6: Focus on The Task at Hand

The idea of multitasking may seem to be enticing. We often marvel at the person who is adept at multitasking.

However, while doing so, more chances are there that you’ll end up making a blunder.

For this, it’s better to –

• allocate time separately for each task
• avoid switching between multiple tasks
• begin a new task after accomplishing the one in hand
• setup individual boundaries

Once you know what matters most, you can focus on getting it done. Create a ‘focus mantra’ and pair your time management initiatives with a laser-like focus.

With these effective time management tips, you’re guaranteed to execute the tasks more accurately and perform everything within the specified deadline.

#7: Delegate to the Experts

Before adding any task to your own schedule, ask yourself – ‘Do I need to perform this on my own?’

If the answer is “NO,” feel free to delegate it.

When it comes to utilizing your time and energy, you need to learn the art of delegating.

A proficient assistant can help you in–

• routine activities
• organizing business files
• making business calls
• billing
• drafting messages
• scheduling appointments

If you have the right people working with you, you’ve nothing to worry. This person can be the biggest productivity booster and stress reducer for you.

#8: Perform a Time Audit

When you’re super busy, every spare minute counts!

You may think everything is getting done within the specified time, but it’s important to document how it’s actually getting used.

Too often, business owners spin their wheels randomly and end up wasting their precious time without any positive result.

Be aware of it!

A time audit can give a better idea of how to manage your time effectively for each task. Although it has the term ‘audit’ in its name, it’s not that difficult as it may seem.

And if required, use time tracking software for a better understanding of how and where you can modify your working procedures.

It lets you streamline your process by putting the light on time consumption. Make time audits an integral part of how you approach time management.

#9: Analyze the Processes More Closely

The BIG PICTURE is always there for you.

But first, examine the processes thoroughly. It’ll provide you with further insights required for business growth.

Think about these –

• Are my business strategies creative enough?
• Do I have access to the capital I’ll need to succeed?
• Are there holes in my marketing strategy?
• How can I get an edge over my competitors?
• Is this the right time for me to expand my business?
• What structure would best suit my business?
• What do I need to start doing, keep doing, and stop doing?

Subsequently, develop a well-thought-out process to refine your strategies. Furthermore, you may also document the best results for future purposes.

Entrepreneurs should constantly gather knowledge from people who are ahead of them. They need to learn skills in the fields of marketing, design and technology.

In a nutshell, closely look at the various steps in your marketing funnel and running tests to understand how you can grow faster than anybody else.

#10: Face Difficult Tasks at Your Peak

It’s good to do the hardest thing first.

When we postpone the tough tasks, we often get stressed about them and keep postponing them.

You worry about how you might become frustrated, angry or demotivated.  Acknowledging these feelings is the first step in developing your emotional strength.

If you perform the hardest task at your peak, you can engage your mind to the fullest.

Once you start, things will gradually get solved in course of time.  If required, break down the task in several parts. Thus, it’ll seem to be possible and actually enjoyable to do.

#11: Reconnect with Your “Why”

Often, you tend to put your head down and focus with too much intensity. You forget about everything that is going around you. And in the end, you discover yourself way off track.

When a business project is underway, it would be awful to get confused about how to cope up with time.

Don’t get jumbled up!

It is in these moments, reconnect with your “why”.

Successful business leaders revisit the core ideas – the foundational reason behind why they do and what they do. It can help you remain in the right track on a long-term basis.

So, when you’re wondering whether a certain task is worth your time, ask yourself whether it goes with your why.

#12: Make Better Initial Decisions

If you are thinking about the best time management tips, one of the most important aspects is to make better initial decisions.

When you start a work, it’s doesn’t get extensive instantly. And this is why it’s the best time to avail the tactical advantage.

For this, you need to have a proper understanding of the entire process. Besides that, you can also utilize previously learned lessons for smarter improvisation.

If you can reduce folly on your initial decisions, you’d be able to save more time later.

#13: Get an Early Start

“The early bird gets the worm.”

It’s not just a saying!

According to the experts, most of the people remain at their optimum performance level at the morning. Studies have shown that those who wake up early become more productive.

Start your day earlier than everyone else. By waking before the rest of the world, you get more time to plan your day in advance.

Get a head start on some tasks that may be looming over your head.

#14: Reduce Distractions

Entrepreneurs are naturally ambitious people. They try to make the most of their day. But they are also human beings and can get distracted unintentionally.

So, how can you cut out distractions and supercharge your focus? Try the following:

• Select a time for meditation
• Manage time to exercise
• Avoid unnecessary presence on social media
• Keep the phone away during important works

Besides doing these, you also need to be aware of excess stress. Without proper stress management, you can lose your focus and get distracted.

Successful people know how to cope up with the workload. When the pressure is on, they take time to regain control over everything.

Take control over your ability to concentrate and work well. Don’t let distractions dictate your day.

#15: Eliminate the Non-Essential

Employ the 80/20 rule – focus on the few thing that will generate the most significant results. As an entrepreneur, try to understand the attributes of the 20 percent of your customers that make up the majority of your revenues.

Getting caught up in the non-essentials causes failure. Save your time by eliminating less important activities. Try to be constructive without being too busy.

Make sure all of your communications are to the point and concise. Before scheduling any meeting, think twice whether it’s relevant at all.

#16: Take Time to Pause and Think

As an entrepreneur, you tend to move rapidly from one thing to the next, without even a pause for breath.

But you need some free time to think about the right ways of doing things.

The key is to be productive – it takes forethought and planning.

For this, build unstructured time into your weekly schedule. Within this period, do nothing beyond learning, exploring, and thinking.

This can also help in maximizing your brain’s bandwidth, i.e., de-clutter your brain.

#17: It’s All About Mind Management

So, you’ve gone through several time management tips and tricks till now…

Want to know the best part?

Here’s the KICKER!

Stop thinking about it as “time management” …!

Time management is all about mind management. Once you start to take things in control, everything seems easy to do.

In most of the cases, it’s not time that needs better managing, rather, it’s us.

If you’re passionate about your work and like to take challenges, you’re going to find a way to go…

Isn’t it so?

Things get interesting when you start looking at everything on your task list as a series of choices. And eventually, you’ll realize that the potential was in you all along the way.

As an entrepreneur, you can’t buy or borrow time from anyone.

So, what’s the bottom line?

The key is to have the ability of organizing the workflow and manage time accordingly. With the above-mentioned time management tips for entrepreneurs, you’re all set to meet your goals!