Managing Time as an Entrepreneur

Do you ever feel like there isn’t enough time in the day to get done what you need to?  I think everybody has felt like that, especially if you’re new to running your own business.  When I first made the transition to self-employment it became evident to me very quickly that I didn’t necessarily mind the structure that an established business had.  I really had to buckle down and come up with a schedule that worked for me and that I could stick to. Even if it was just having a few consistent standing items or client meetings set up that would give me the semblance of some structure.  For example, I have one client I visit every Monday morning to start my week off on the right foot and get things accomplished right off the bat for the week.

From there I like to make lists and utilize my outlook calendar to block off time for certain tasks each week.  Your business may have to have more structure with a schedule so it may be finding project management software to help track projects and timing for each project you have going on.  There are a lot of great project management software available for free so find something that works for you.  I like using OneNote and Trello to create lists and timelines for my clients to ensure I make all my deadlines on time.

Another thing to do to manage time is to just handle things right away.  Easier said than done, I know, but sometimes it’s better to just push through and finish a task to cross it off the list.  My anxiety likes to have me procrastinate, so I know that it can be hard to do that if that has been an issue for you.  I do love crossing things off my to-do list so I really push myself to cross as much off as I possibly can.  Do you have any additional tips for managing time as an entrepreneur?

-Ashley