Management Skills
Time Management Tips for the Busy Small Business Owner
By Julie Gerstein
Dec 26, 2005, 21:22

Running a business requires great time management skills. Between meeting with clients and employees, troubleshooting problems and handling all the daily ins and outs of your business, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. One important question to ask: are you managing your time or is time managing you? Either way, there are things you can do to make your time at work worthwhile.

Identify the obstacles that keep you from managing your time wisely. Who or what keep you from accomplishing your goals? Is it a problem with your employees, your office space or perhaps your office technology? Do you have a tendency to procrastinate? Are there certain tasks you tend to neglect in favor of others? How do you prioritize your time? Addressing and overcoming these obstacles will help you approach your daily goals with a clean slate and a clear head.

Start each day with a “to do” list. Chances are, you won’t accomplish everything on your list. Still, having a tangible, physical reminder of your goals and objectives helps to center and focus each day. Start small, with a short list of items. Over time, as you become better at managing your time, you may find that you can add additional items to your daily list.

Set goals for yourself each day. Many small business owners run their companies like emergency room triage units. Instead of setting goals each day, they simply spin their wheels and attempt to resolve problems and mistakes. Many business owners get stuck in “the now,” and are unable to set goals for the future. By setting goals on a daily, weekly and monthly basis, you show yourself and your employees that you are working toward success.

Say “no” when you need to. It is important to recognize and respect your limits, and sometimes that means saying “no” to tasks and projects. When considering tasks, ask yourself if it’s something that absolutely must be handled by you, or if you can delegate it out to an employee or colleague.

Eliminate time wasters from your schedule. Do you spend a lot of time in ineffectual or unnecessary meetings and appointments? Are you mired in paperwork, or caught up handling petty administrative tasks while your company’s big picture goals languish? Trust your instincts and cancel meetings that really aren’t worth your time.

Determine what your most productive time is, and organize your schedule around it. Are you a morning person? Do you work better after lunch? Knowing your best time of day can help you organize tasks and objectives better. For example, if you’re a morning person and you have a meeting with an important client, why not schedule it in the first part of the day so you can be at your best.

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