Biz Owners Need To Tame Their Time

It’s not a badge of honor to work sixty hours a week or more. Honestly, the beauty of being a business owner is that you should have more control over your time than you did when you were working 9-5 and commuting to and from the office. When I talk with entrepreneurs I tell them, “biz owners need to tame their time.” If a budding biz owner drives him or herself to the ground, the business won’t survive and perhaps the entrepreneur won’t either. That isn’t why you went into business for yourself is it? To work more hours, see your friends and family less and be so stressed that they don’t enjoy the ride, is it?

You need to take control of your time because if you don’t it will continue to control you. That also means you need to control client and customer expectations. If they think you are available 24/7 because you’re always answering email and phone calls and texts they will expect that. If, however you tell them, you answer the phone from X to X on this day and that and that you take holidays off, they will understand and appreciate it. Believe me, it’s easier to set expectations up front than it is to try and “take away” what they’ve grown accustomed to.

Biz Owners Need To Tame Their Time

Here are a few quick tips to help you get control of your time and enjoy being a business owner.

1. You can delegate tasks even if you don’t have staff. Are you good at blogging? No? Hire a copywriter. Do you love to crunch numbers and do spreadsheets and balance the budget? No? Hire an accountant. Could you defend yourself in court? No? Hire a lawyer. There are tasks that a business owner, no matter the budget, should consider the cost of doing business and plan for that. Marketing and web development is one of those tasks that an entrepreneur feels they don’t have to worry about and then wonder, “why don’t I have any clients” when they don’t have a website, social media presence or a blog.
2. Draw the line between business and personal. As mentioned, don’t work 24/7. Keep a calendar and make appointments with yourself –whether it’s going out for lunch with a colleague, taking a walk, going to the gym, etc. Also the line needs to separate your home life from your work life and this is especially true if you work from home. Close the office, or close the laptop at the end of the day. Make it a symbolic, end of the day ritual.
3. Just say no. I know that when you’re starting out it is hard to say no to a potential client or job but you need to. You need to be very clear on what you will do as well as what you won’t do. Don’t dilute your efforts because if an ideal client comes along and you’re so busy with tasks outside of your zone of genius, you will be frustrated and angry.  

Are you just starting out? Do you struggle with time management? Where are your stumbling blocks? Reach out to Rex Richard for a consultation on strategic project management.