{"id":15927,"date":"2015-08-16T20:00:10","date_gmt":"2015-08-17T00:00:10","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/creator\/?p=15927"},"modified":"2020-03-30T18:28:13","modified_gmt":"2020-03-30T22:28:13","slug":"5-ways-to-steal-time-as-a-small-business-owner","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.wework.com\/ideas\/professional-development\/5-ways-to-steal-time-as-a-small-business-owner","title":{"rendered":"Five ways to steal time as a small business owner"},"content":{"rendered":"

As a small business owner, chances are you are juggling more than your fair share of duties. Nothing passes by your desk without you seeing it first. Nothing gets completed without your approval. And nothing can move without you pushing it. Every day, the clock strikes five, and you realize you are no closer than being done with the workday than when you started. Good news: no more feeling anxious or burned-out because you are out of time.<\/p>\n

In running my company, Virgo Girl Media<\/a>, I realized I was being productive and<\/em> counterproductive, because I was not successfully completing projects. I would start a project and only be able to complete 80 percent because another task demanded my attention. I got tired of not effectively applying my time, so I created a time management system that helped me get my sanity back and successfully run my small business.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s important to know where your time is going. I realized I spent a large amount of time commuting. By eliminating driving and taking public transportation, I am able to use those two hours productively by answering emails, planning for the next day, posting to social media, and other minor tasks that don\u2019t need to be completed during work hours, but still need to get done.<\/p>\n

Here are five ways to help you steal time and become more productive with your workdays:<\/p>\n

1. Start early.<\/strong> Spend the first 20 to 30 minutes of your morning planning and prepping for your day. Plan ahead. Before your day begins, you should have a clear idea as to how it will pan out.<\/span><\/p>\n

2. Carry an organizer. <\/strong>As much as we all love our digital tech, nothing beats having an old-fashioned calendar. Update your calendar daily. Record all your to-dos, activities, deadlines, and projects, and organize by day. An organized calendar will help with prepare for your day. Allocate the time needed for each daily task.<\/span><\/p>\n

3.\u00a0<\/span><\/strong>Schedule prep time.<\/strong> Scheduling is a big part of time management. Time does not lie. Before each meeting, schedule 5 to 10 minutes to allow yourself time to prep for it and to know the reason for having the meeting. Nothing wastes more time than being in a meeting and 1) not being prepared or 2) not knowing the purpose. Another thing: do not waste time in a meeting where you are not needed. Before the meeting, know the role you are playing and if you need to even be there.<\/span><\/p>\n

4. Delegate tasks<\/strong>. Nothing saves more time than removing yourself from the task. As your business grows, so will your daily demands. Delegate tasks that do not require your personal attention. If you are unable to hire a full-time employee, hire freelancers or interns to assist with the administrative and day-to-day operations. This will free up your time to focus on the more important needs of your business.<\/span><\/p>\n

5. Do not disturb<\/strong>. Social media, texts, emails, and personal phone calls are all massive time suckers throughout the day. Even though you\u2019re your own boss and running the company, you are responsible for staying focused and being able to deliver and meet deadlines. Be careful what you give your attention to and how long you spend on it. Calculate your hourly rate versus what is eating up your time. If your hourly rate is $95 per hour, and you spend an average of three hours a day checking personal email, texting, on social media, and on personal calls, you just cost yourself not only $285, but also three hours of wasted time. \u00a0 \u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Never be afraid to say no to a project or a client. Be honest and upfront about your schedule and what you can and cannot deliver within the allotted time frame. It is generally impossible to complete everything you need done in one day, but by planning ahead and prioritizing, you can feel confident about the direction your business is heading.<\/p>\n

Photo credit:\u00a0juhan sonin\/flickr<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

As a small business owner, chances are you are juggling more than your fair share of duties. Nothing passes by your desk without you seeing it first. Nothing gets completed without your approval. And nothing can move without you pushing it. Every day, the clock strikes five, and you realize you are no closer than […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1321,"featured_media":15935,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[43902],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-15927","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-professional-development"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nFive ways to steal time as a small business owner<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"It is usually impossible to complete every task in one day, but by planning and prioritizing, you can feel confident about where your business is heading.\" \/>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" 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