2014, Volume 1, Number 1
You work every available hour running your enterprise but at the end of the week, you don’t have that feeling of satisfaction that you’ve done everything you set out to do. If you are not being highly productive on a daily basis, then you can’t find the time to execute the strategies and tactics you’ve carefully outlined to grow your business. Here are four tips to help you work more efficiently:
#1: Create realistic ‘to-do’ lists: You know how long it takes to
do many of the tasks associated with your business. If you find you are consistently only getting through 75% of your to-do list, then revisit your business goals and make sure your to-dos are addressing them. Just like your tactics align with your strategies (which are in sync with your objectives); so should your to-do lists align with your tactics.
#2: Organize your ‘to-do’ list…from the top down: When you were working for others, it was okay to ease into your work day with easy tasks first. Trust us, even your boss did it. But now, make sure you are doing just the opposite: Tackling the most onerous tasks first…through to their completion.
#3: Call it quits…for the day: Gauge when your energy and brain power is on a downhill spiral. Remember the occasions when you have struggled with a task at the end of a long day, only to have to set it aside for the next? More often than not, the following day, you were able to knock out that task in half the time because you were fresh and recharged. Adopting this one practice alone will make you a more productive worker.
#4: Know when to fold ‘em: Making the decision to outsource functional areas of your business can be nerve wracking but also can be extremely liberating. Whether it’s a time resource issue or the lack of expertise, it is always wise to hire help. Don’t fall into one of the major pitfalls of women entrepreneurship…the feeling that you need to do it all. Depending on the level of skill required, consider engaging a contractor; or recruiting a college student as an intern to help you out. In addition to researching the traditional internship programs of local colleges, be sure to check out the school’s entrepreneurship programs where students are looking for opportunities to help small business owners like you.