This is Part 2 in my Time Management Series ... If you missed Part 1 you can find it here. Today, we are talking about designating time for your business. If you are asking me, Time? What is extra time? I got you ... I feel you!
If you are a full-time business owner, you may already have large chunks of time dedicated to your business. If this is you, I'll be addressing prioritizing more in part 3. If you are running a business part-time or trying to find time to start your new gig, this post is for you!
Let's examine how much time you have versus how much time your business needs. Every business is different as far as how much time it needs, and again, I will again be referencing my gardening hobby, as I fit it into the nooks and crannies of my day. Throughout the year, there are tasks that I must do to have a successful and well-kept garden, and most businesses are the same. Dedicating a portion of each day and week to working on my garden is essential, or I will end up with an extreme mess that takes a great deal of time and energy. Examining what those tasks are will come later, but first you must carve out those blocks of time
I currently have a couple businesses, too many hobbies, kids, husband, other family, and a lot of friends that I don't see nearly often enough. All these things need my time and attention, but like everyone else, some of these things require more time than others, and that amount of time is always changing.
Since we moved into our current house 11 years ago, I've always imagined it planted with loads of flowers, and my husband and I were overjoyed that we could plant more than just a few pots of veggies like we were doing at our previous home. However, I was busy with working outside our home, and we had 3 boys, the youngest was 3. Within a few years, I was back working at home, we had a tractor, and were plowing up a rather large plot for a garden. The first year we never got that whole area planted, but it was fabulous, and we harvested a great bounty of food. As my business grew, my time for the garden got less and less, and each year after that the garden became more over grown with weeds, the deer found our garden, and we harvested less and less. I was overwhelmed, and I gave up. I surrendered to mother nature and put the whole dream aside. I didn't give up on gardening though, as I was determined to work with what we had, and what was realistic for me to maintain given the time that I had. I started again, small, and I've grown a little bit more each year.
When you are trying to fit your business into the nooks and crannies of your life, I would encourage you to start small, and expect reasonable growth. Look for time pockets in your life that you are not being productive. This could be on morning commutes where you could integrate technology to listen to leaders in your industry. It could mean waking up an hour earlier or focusing on business tasks while you are having your morning coffee. It could mean, forgoing watching tv, and working on your business in those hours instead. It will most definitely mean that you need to involve the people in your home that depend on you. It may mean less time with friends, family, and social activities ... please note that I didn't say no time ... as you will most certainly need down time with friends, family and social activities!
The most important thing that you will need to do is to schedule your business into your life. You must make it a priority and be honest with yourself and those around you. Evaluating the amount of time, you are willing to dedicate to your business is so very important, and examining how much time does starting or running your business actually take. Starting a business, is in general, much more time consuming that running it, however it is unlikely that you will be able to start it and then set it on autopilot. All businesses need time and maintenance. Especially if you expect that business to grow.
Your head might be spinning thinking of how much time you need, versus how much time that you have. However, the most important step at this moment, is to realize how important this time is, and find those blocks of time that you will commit to working on your business.
Next, we will talk more about prioritizing and dealing with the things that pop up and try to get you off track!
If you are a full-time business owner, you may already have large chunks of time dedicated to your business. If this is you, I'll be addressing prioritizing more in part 3. If you are running a business part-time or trying to find time to start your new gig, this post is for you!
Let's examine how much time you have versus how much time your business needs. Every business is different as far as how much time it needs, and again, I will again be referencing my gardening hobby, as I fit it into the nooks and crannies of my day. Throughout the year, there are tasks that I must do to have a successful and well-kept garden, and most businesses are the same. Dedicating a portion of each day and week to working on my garden is essential, or I will end up with an extreme mess that takes a great deal of time and energy. Examining what those tasks are will come later, but first you must carve out those blocks of time
I currently have a couple businesses, too many hobbies, kids, husband, other family, and a lot of friends that I don't see nearly often enough. All these things need my time and attention, but like everyone else, some of these things require more time than others, and that amount of time is always changing.
Since we moved into our current house 11 years ago, I've always imagined it planted with loads of flowers, and my husband and I were overjoyed that we could plant more than just a few pots of veggies like we were doing at our previous home. However, I was busy with working outside our home, and we had 3 boys, the youngest was 3. Within a few years, I was back working at home, we had a tractor, and were plowing up a rather large plot for a garden. The first year we never got that whole area planted, but it was fabulous, and we harvested a great bounty of food. As my business grew, my time for the garden got less and less, and each year after that the garden became more over grown with weeds, the deer found our garden, and we harvested less and less. I was overwhelmed, and I gave up. I surrendered to mother nature and put the whole dream aside. I didn't give up on gardening though, as I was determined to work with what we had, and what was realistic for me to maintain given the time that I had. I started again, small, and I've grown a little bit more each year.
The most important thing that you will need to do is to schedule your business into your life. You must make it a priority and be honest with yourself and those around you. Evaluating the amount of time, you are willing to dedicate to your business is so very important, and examining how much time does starting or running your business actually take. Starting a business, is in general, much more time consuming that running it, however it is unlikely that you will be able to start it and then set it on autopilot. All businesses need time and maintenance. Especially if you expect that business to grow.
Your head might be spinning thinking of how much time you need, versus how much time that you have. However, the most important step at this moment, is to realize how important this time is, and find those blocks of time that you will commit to working on your business.
Next, we will talk more about prioritizing and dealing with the things that pop up and try to get you off track!
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