You started the day with the best of intentions, but life happens. Two hours after arriving at the office, you have 25 emails awaiting an answer, 10 phone messages to return, and a lost shipment to track down. In the midst of what is turning out to be a challenging day, you get a phone call from your child’s school that your 6-year-old son just had a mishap on the playground.
Some days test your mettle. Yet, even when the business is humming along, that is actually the ideal time to apply a little time management to your daily work routine. Don’t wait until the next time-crunch crisis. Even setting aside one hour to scrutinize your work routine can put a spotlight on those problematic time-wasters.
Many entrepreneurs have a difficult time transitioning from those early days of hands-on micro-managing ‘your baby.’ Put a management system into place that allows for reflection and planning as the business expands. Tapping the expertise of a business coach adds that valuable perspective when you’re in the trenches.
Planning for optimal business processes often takes a back seat to those front-burner crises that set off the proverbial smoke alarm. Even so, an entrepreneur must set aside the time to take in the bigger picture as the business grows.
Carve out a specific time each week solely devoted to reviewing and optimizing your business processes. Then, craft a plan to tackle each area of inefficiency in turn. Rome wasn’t built in a day, but putting one stone into place week by week could take your business to the next level.