While there are certain ways to get ahead in this world, in most cases, working a 9 to 5 job is not going to do it.
One method which many people have used to create wealth is to start their own home based business. Here's a few things to think about if you are going that route.
6 Effective Time Management Skills for Home Business Owners
If you are one of those people who is trying to start or run a home business, I think it's of value to share with you 6 tried and true time management tips that I have found to be very useful to me and that have received a lot of attention from experts in the field. They are taught to management personnel in major corporations, but they work just as well...maybe even better...for the home business owner.
By conscientiously applying these 6 techniques you will become more efficient and get more important things done during your day.
1. Have a Quadrant 2 Mindset
Focusing your time on the right tasks is very important. But, how do you determine the important ones?
Imagine a square divided into four smaller squares. Down the left side, the two rows are labeled "Important" and "Not Important". Across the top, the two columns are labeled "Urgent" and "Not Urgent". Quadrant 1 is the intersection of "Important" and "Urgent". Those are fires that need to be put out quick, just by their nature. There's no real planning here, just action.
The bottom row, made up of Quadrants 3 and 4, whether urgent or not, is of less importance by definition. It is "Not Important">
The remaining section is Quadrant #2.
It is at the intersection of "Important" but "Not Urgent". This is where you can plan and prepare. By spending more time on Quadrant 2 matters, those actions which can bring you the greatest benefits, you increase your output by a lot more than if you simply increased your efficiency.
2. Be Aware of the 80/20 Rule
The 80/20 rule, also known as the "Pareto principle", states that 80% of your results will come from 20% of the tasks you perform. The 80/20 rule is found in many aspects of life. Ever hear "Eighty percent of the work is done by twenty percent of the people"?
Well, approximately twenty percent of the things you need to do, or think you need to do, are the genuinely important ones you need to get done first. Recognizing the 80/20 rule can shorten your To-Do list and allow you to focus more on the tasks that will bring you real results.
3. Clear Your Mind - Write It Down!
Stress is without a doubt the enemy of efficiency. It is also considered by many experts to be one of the worst "risk factors" for many of the worst health issues we face.
When you are feeling stress, are "under the gun", your ability to focus and be creative diminishes. This makes you less efficient in your work.
Writing things down and getting them out of your mind really helps you relax, and has another important value in the area of time management.
Pick up almost any book on success, whether in a given area, or success in general, and one of the first things you will be told to do is write down things...your goals, what you eat, how much you spend, what your dreams are, people who can help you. Having these things floating nebulously around in your head is sloppy and inefficient.
Get it down on paper, and go back and look at it often. A To-Do list is always written and is brought up to date and amended throughout the day as realities change. Goals change, becoming clearer or more nebulous. Write them down, read them, and amend them as needed.
Many experts say two of the most valuable things you can have for a successful business is a Mission Statement, and a Business Plan. These are written down and referred to often...and amended as needed.
4. Take the Time to Plan Your Week.
For starters, see #3 above, then read the next quote.
"Every minute planning saves 10 minutes in execution", says Brian Tracy, well-known motivational expert and speaker and CEO of Brian Tracy International.
When you create a weekly plan (and write it down so you don't forget any of it) you have a clear overview of what needs to be done in a much larger sense then when you simply plan day-by-day. This can allow you to schedule time for quadrant 2 activities and "batch" tasks in order to become even more efficient.
5. Organize Your Day BEFORE It Happens!
Pull out your To-Do list (which you roughed out before going to bed the night before, and put first things first. Start with the most important task(s). This is the bread and butter of time management. Mark you To-Do list with A, B, C or 1, 2, 3, or whatever works for you...but do it.
Marking the tasks so that you can quickly and easily follow them in their order of importance makes it a lot easier to manage your time and get through the day with less stress and confusion.
6. Delegate Whenever and Whatever Possible.
Efficiency is going to start with you, not someone else, however, the goal of efficiency is to get things done. The efficient person makes use of all the tools at his or her disposal. This means that you make the most effective use of the the skills, efforts, and time of others in order to make YOUR perfomance more efficient and rewarding.
Creating a team of 10 people working on a project means that you have multiplied your potential by several times...hopefully by 10, if you have picked the right people.
Learn the basics of time management.
