My 3 Top Tips for Removing Time Wasters
Have you ever looked back at the end of the day wondering where the hours went and what you actually achieved? It can be frustrating when a day gets clogged up with unproductive tasks and you don’t get to the money making stuff that you really should attend to.
The number one thing you need in order to grow your business fast and successfully (apart from Passion) is FOCUS!
Focus on Income Producing Activities. What does that really mean? As Solo-Entrepreneurs there are three things that we should be focused on 95% of the time:
Marketing: Marketing takes most of the time, especially when starting out and realistically also when you are already up and running. The good news for all those of you saying you don’t like to market: The lines between Marketing and Working with Clients get blurred when using Attraction Marketing Principles. That means Marketing is actually fun because you educate and build relationships while you do it.
Work with Clients: No brainer. Of course you want to spend time servicing your clients really well. As a Solopreneur YOU and your Expertise are the the commodity so of course this is an important part, and usually the most fun part of your days.
Innovation: It’s critical that you constantly learn new things and innovate within your field. Your clients expect it, it is the lifeblood of your business. And it keeps things exciting for you as well.
You should be spending 95% of your time in any of these three areas. If you are not, you are wasting time. Let me share with you my top tips for ridding yourself of time wasters so you can be as focused and productive as possible to reach your big 2010 goals.
Tip 1: Have set working hours where you ONLY spend time on income producing activities.
During your working hours you should not be focusing on anything else. That means no lower value activities (eg admin), no distracting activities (eg a private email, a youtube video someone sent you etc) and no personal chores like shopping etc. Set your working hours so you can realistically achieve this and stick to it no matter what. You will need to find time for the excluded activities somewhere else. This is critical for you to stay focused.
Tip 2: Batch activities
This is so important as different tasks require a different mindset. Changing it all the time is a waste. So have a standard diary for the week . Batch all our client work on certain days, your marketing on certain days etc, you get the idea. If you are not already doing it, you will notice that this saves you heaps of time. It also makes it really easy to plan the week and estimate how long bigger projects will take you to complete.
Tip 3: Outsource all non-income producing activities
As soon as you can afford it, outsource your non-income producing activities. Most people wait too long before they do this. Remember, the more you outsource the more you are able to focus on income producing activities and make money. I know the more I outsource, the more money I make. It is an investment that definitely pays off. If you choose the right team members who are professionals who know their craft and have a service mentality, you will be better off because you have outsourced. Don’t wait too long, do it as soon as possible!
Focus is important not only to get more done but also so you have more time off to spend doing what you love. That’s really important so you replenish your energy and your creativity.
What do you think of these tips? How are they working for you? What are your top tips to avoid time wasters?
Yvonne McIntosh is a solo entrepreneur business coach specializing in helping coaches, consultants and wellness professionals to Brand their Unique Brilliance. Yvonne’s also provide business consulting and small business advice for entrepreneurs to break through their limiting beliefs and growing their business.
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