Last post, I wrote about an issue many business owners face – finding the time to spend working on, rather than just in, their business. If that’s you too, don’t worry, you’re far from alone.
Today, you’ll find some practical ideas for how to claw some time in your busy day that makes it possible to eek out time for focusing on your business.
1.Block Out Some Planning Time
in your diary. Mark it as unavailable. That way you’ll schedule around it and there’s the added bonus of having a reminder on your computer or phone that it’s time to get down to what’s really important. For longer planning sessions, take yourself out of your office. Go somewhere inspiring (and generally away from an internet connection) where you can really focus.
2.Replace Yourself With A Manual
(or a set of FAQ sheets). In every business there are a million and one little questions that get asked time and again. It wastes time. Every time you answer any question, write it and the answer down (and think of a couple more questions and answers at the same time). Over time, you’ll build up a valuable reference library that will limit the time you need to spend involved in the minutia of the business.
As an aside, the more systems like this you can put in place, the more your business will be worth should you ever decide to sell it.
3.Outsource.
Consider for a minute your week or month – what’s the number one thing that you hate, loathe and despise doing for your business more than anything else? For many of you, that will be your books. But it might be your admin, ordering, looking after staffing or something else. Why not consider outsourcing it? Ultimately it will save you time, money and quite possibly your sanity. If you can outsource it for less than the hourly cost of your time – you’re ahead. More time to focus on what’s critical for your business – sales, planning or that critical issue.
4. Get A Different Perspective.
When you spend 60 or so hours a week most weeks of the year on your small business ( and most small business owners do), it can be a little hard to keep perspective. That’s where a second opinion is a godsend. If you’ve got smart business-owner friends in different industries from yours, you might consider getting together once every couple of months in a sort of ‘business mastermind’ to work on progressing yours and each other’s businesses.
It’s comforting to know that other business owners face similar issues to you (even if they’re in different industries) and the insights they bring to the table have often taken my breath away.
5.Spend Time On Something That Moves You Towards Your Goals Every Day.
Far too often, I come across people who’ve put in the time and effort of planning only to do nothing with that plan. Please don’t be like that. Make your plan a working document and put it into practice. Even if you take two years instead of 18 months or a year instead of six months to reach your goal – are you going to be disappointed? Probably not. In fact, I think you’d still be pretty pleased with yourself.
If you have anything that’s particularly worked for you in reclaiming your time, feel free to share in the comments below. We’d love to hear from you. We’d also love it if you followed us on twitter or you can connect with me via linkedin – http://au.linkedin.com/in/michellemillssoi
If we can help you keep your focus on the only thing that matters in your business, call us on +61 2 9994 8000 or visit us www.serviced.com.au
