Good time management is one of the most important skill sets that small-business owners need to master. And you can’t manage your time unless you’re willing and able to manage your interruptions.
I’ve got to say, I’ve always found it ironic that the first reason many people give for becoming business owners is that they want to have control over their schedules—but that’s one of the first things they give up. It’s just too easy to get lost in the demands of our businesses and forget the key reasons we became business owners in the first place.
So step back right now and take a look at how you deal with interruptions. Do you always answer the phone on the first ring no matter what else you’re doing? Do you have your email and instant messaging program on all day while you’re working? If you work at home, how often do you let requests like “Honey, could you please go get some milk now?” take a chunk out of your business hours?
I’ll tell you something else. You might think you’re getting more done when you multi-task like this, but the fact is that you’re not. Efficiency experts have done studies and found that distracted workers are just that. Distracted and unable to concentrate on any one thing long enough to get it done.
So how can you do a better job of managing your interruptions? After all, you own this business. Your success is up to you. And your business is never going to be as successful as it can be unless you learn how to focus and get things done.
Let’s start by looking at the interruptions you have to deal with. If you own a small store, of course you’re going to have to deal with any customer who walks in unless you’ve got an employee or two. But can you afford to arrange your business hours to give yourself uninterrupted time to take care of the chores that make running your business possible?
Be creative. You know what the interruptions are. You know what you need to get done. Remember that you’re the owner, and you set the hours. Make sure you’re setting them in a way that maximizes your efficiency not your stress.
And what if you work an Internet business from home? You may need to get comfortable letting your phone go to voice mail. You can schedule time for reading and responding to emails and ignore them during the rest of your day. And while you might not be popular at home for awhile, you’re going to need to stick to whatever business hours you’ve set for yourself and let someone else get the milk.
No matter what kind of small business you own, one of the most important things you can do for yourself is learn which interruptions you have to deal with now and which ones can wait. That’s one of the keys to good time management.
Small-business owners who don’t manage their time well don’t truly succeed no matter how much money they make. For one thing, they generally don’t enjoy their work. They’re frequently stressed out. And their businesses never do as well as they actually could be doing.
Don’t be one of those small-business owners. Stop pulling your hair out and start managing your interruptions today.
Reference: http://SmallBusiness.TheForceReport.com
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