3 Secrets to Time Management for Small Business Owners

Copyright (c) 2007 Audrey Burton

I can’t tell you why these are secrets, but it might be
because most people don’t appear to know how to do them.
At least, they are not doing them now!

Allow me to illustrate my credibility on this subject – I
am an only parent of two wonderful daughters in middle
school (and a dog) and have my own full-time business.  I’m
gradually painting the inside of our home, wall by wall,
and have an almost 14 year old car.  I’m busy.

I love my life, but in order to accomplish all I want to
accomplish, I have to organize the way I spend my time very
well.

Here are my secrets: a week-at-a-glance planner, a 2-page
business plan and a cleaning woman!  The first two tools
work hand in hand and require very little maintenance, but
they do require some systematic attention.  The third one
should be self explanatory!

The best way to create a time management system that works
for you is to research systems other people use and cherry
pick from them the components that will fit with your life
and your personality.

The business plan is absolutely required.  Put your to-do
list into a document with deadlines attached to all action
items.  You may notice that you have way too many to-dos on
your list and there is no way you can get them all done in
the time frame you have selected.  So, change it.

Part of the benefit received from having a business plan is
knowing how much you can accomplish in a prescribed time
period.  If your business is new, just map out a six month
plan.  Otherwise, do a year.  Also, you can change it any
time you want – it’s your plan.

After listing your to-dos, categorize them.  Are they
marketing actions or administrative?  Marketing covers the
following 4 Ps: Product, Promotion, Price and Packaging.
Administrative is just about everything else, including
bookkeeping.

For the marketing actions, categorize them further by
dividing all your promotional actions into strategies.
Examples of strategies include networking, speaking,
advertising, email, website, other internet, etc.  Within
each strategy, list the actions you plan to do this year.

You are well on your way to having a business plan with a
marketing plan embedded!  I bet you never thought it could
be this easy.  You are not finished, but you have the meaty
part done.

Every Friday, take out this list and read it.  Open your
calendar.  Which of these actions can you work on the next
week?  If you can clearly see on your calendar that you
will be taking your kids to the doctor, attending 3
networking meetings and servicing a full load of clients,
you may have very little time to market.  Pick some small
things to do and write them on your calendar to do next
week.  If you are not booked up, add something big to your
schedule.

One thing to keep in mind as a high priority is to keep
something in your pipeline at all times, even if your
business is at capacity today.  Having a waiting list is a
good thing!  This means, make phone calls to prospects
EVERY SINGLE WEEK!  When you have more time, call 50
people.  When you get an answering machine, don’t leave a
message – call again later.

If you want to be wealthy, you need to set challenging
goals, then go after them aggressively!  You can do this!

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Audrey Burton, Small Business Coach, is “The Tigress”.  Get
her FREE Special Report, “Closing the Sale is Not
Complicated!” and her FREE monthly email newsletter at
http://www.TigressCoaching.com .