When you start your own home business, one of the skills you have to hone is that of time management. Without proper time management, you will be running around like a chicken with its head cut off trying to get everything done. If you want your home business to run as efficiently as possible and be as profitable as it can be, time management is an absolute must. It Is Not Exactly Easy As Pie Many home business owners make the mistake of thinking time management is something that is easy to accomplish right off the bat. Unless you are the Superman or Superwoman of multitasking and are an expert at allocating tasks to every minute of every day, home business time management is going to take some getting used to. The hardest time you will have with time management is during the startup phase of your home business. However, it is during this phase that you need to sharpen your time management skills and get your time management policies pounded out. Employed Time Management vs. Self-Employed Time Management When you work for someone else, your daily tasks are usually set for you and your schedule is usually managed by your boss. When you work for yourself, you have to prioritize your own schedule and you have to be self driven. If you fail on either of these responsibilities, your home business fails with you. Another difference between time management with an employer and time management with a home business is the number of hats you wear. When you work for an employer, you have a set number of responsibilities. When you work for yourself, you have to do everything from business setup and marketing to procurement and fulfillment. Home business owners wear an endless number of hats. Because of this, knowing how much time to schedule for each "job" is critical. When you work for someone else, it is not uncommon to spend a day here or there slacking on your duties, playing solitaire on the computer and surfing the Web at your leisure. You get paid either way. When you have a home business, every moment that is not dedicated to the operation and success of that business is money lost and opportunity lost. How To Do It When you first start your time management program, sit down and make a list of every single thing that needs to be done. Then number that list in order of priority. Get a day planner and slot a certain number of hours to each task on your "to do" list, ensuring each task gets done within the required timeframe. As hard as it may be at first, do not deviate from this schedule unless it is an absolute emergency. This step is critical to the successful time management of your home business. Avoid Time Management Pitfalls There are a number of time management pitfalls that almost every new home business owner falls in to. Make sure you avoid the most common time management mistakes such as: --- Not completing the most important tasks of the day first thing in the morning. --- Not having a written schedule for each and every business day. --- Over-scheduling to the point that it is impossible to stay on track with your time management routine. --- Putting off the more difficult tasks and focusing on tasks that come easily. --- Allowing personal calls to interrupt your daily time management schedule. --- Drifting from business-related Internet tasks and surfing web pages for personal use. --- Getting sidetracked by spam emails and personal emails and allowing them to cut into your schedule.
By: Curt Miller
