Quick Tip: Time Management
1. Always keep your end goal in mind.
Make sure that you’re creating SMART goals, or those that are specific, measurable, achievable, realistic and time-bound. What ultimately are you wanting to accomplish? Do you want your small business to expand its reach? Do you want to increase sales by 50 percent? Have short- and long-term goals, and form your day-to-day around those goals.
2. Keep a calendar or appointment book.
Having a schedule will allow you to plan your day around your commitments. Place start and end times for the tasks on your calendar so you know how much time you’ve spent on what types of activities. That way you can prioritize which types of tasks will help you run your small business smoothly. And don’t forget to leave some times unbooked! If you’re booked solid in meetings all day, there’s no time for you to actually operate your business.
3. Create a to-do list for the next day before you leave work.
Be realistic on how long each task might take, and don’t overload. Writing it before you leave work will help you end the day and start the next one with a sharpened focus.
4. Know in which types of environments you excel.
Some folks need it to be nice and quiet to get things done. Others might prefer music or background noise. Some might do better working from home, while others might excel with the structure of the office. Find your ideal working environment that will help you boost productivity.
5. Eliminate distractions and, if necessary, start “office hours.”
How many times have you been in the thick of things when you get an alert or a message that throws you off your groove? Or you’ve been using your Windstream internet to do work, but you go down the rabbit hole of YouTube videos? Leave your distractions behind when you really need to get things done. And remember that you don’t need to put out all fires right away. If you find that you keep getting distracted, start “office hours.” Just like the time that your teachers scheduled for you or your parents to come talk to them, your small business can host office hours when customers or vendors can talk to you.
Remember that everyone succeeds in a different environment, so don’t be afraid to tweak some of these tips to better fit your needs!
Now that you’ve built your ideal work environment, we’d like to help you augment the technologies that make your small business run smoothly. Windstream Small Business can help support your company with phone, high-speed internet and cloud-based services that are designed to meet the needs of the ever-changing business environment.
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