5 Hacks For Busy Entrepreneurs

Overwhelmed. Stressed. Exhausted. These are some of the words that accurately describe how most entrepreneurs feel when they are trying to grow a successful business. Chances are, you are bombarded by various tasks on a daily basis. Not to mention all of the fires you have to put out because of the unpredictability of entrepreneurship.

But there are many different ways to make your life easier as a business owner — and if you seek them out, you will find it less challenging to give your business the attention it deserves. This article will provide you with some easy-to-implement tips that will help you navigate the busy life of an entrepreneur.

Hacks for Busy Entrepreneurs

Focus Small

If you’re doing entrepreneurship right, you probably have an overall vision of where you want to take your company. You likely have a series of goals you wish to accomplish, and at times, this can seem daunting. After all, nobody can achieve their ultimate objectives overnight, right?

To avoid becoming discouraged by your progress, start focusing on smaller wins. Each day, you should make sure that you are accomplishing something that moves you closer towards your objective. Celebrate the small wins. Did you manage to finally set an appointment with that prospect you’ve been chasing for months? Celebrate! Did you complete that project you’ve been putting off for weeks? Celebrate! Focusing on these small wins will give you the encouragement to continue to move forward, and it will also help you relieve some of the stress that accompanies business ownership.

Write Down Ideas

How many times have great ideas popped into your head, only to be forgotten later? If you’re the creative type, this probably happens more often than you’d care to admit. When you’re busy focusing on your everyday duties, it’s hard to remember the ideas you come up with. That’s why it’s important to take the time to write these ideas down.

Try carrying a notebook or journal on which you can write your ideas, and make sure you jot them down once you think of them. Don’t put it off until later, thinking that you will remember to write it down. You won’t remember, and you will be frustrated.

You don’t have to write an entire essay on your idea — just a few sentences that will remind you when you come back to it later. This way, you can begin to flesh out the idea and make sure it is viable. If you’re not into carrying out notebooks or journals, you can use that computer that you carry around in your pocket or purse every day. There are tons of smartphone apps that can help you take notes and set reminders, and you’re doing yourself a disservice if you’re not using them.

Use Virtual Offices

Sometimes, people become overwhelmed by all of the different functions and tasks they must handle. On top of that, if you’re renting office space, you are likely spending tons of money that could be better used in other areas of your business operations. This is where virtual offices come in.

There are plenty of services that offer virtual office solutions for the busy business owner. They provide you with a physical address while also giving you administration services, and they are far less expensive than renting an office. These services can be used for receiving mail, redirecting phone calls, and some offer the use of private offices that you can utilize when you need to meet with an important client or business partner.

If you are thinking about using a virtual office, it’s important to make sure you choose the right service. Each service offers something different, so you must make sure that you are picking the one that best fits the needs of your business.

Along with a virtual office, you might also consider using a virtual assistant. You can typically hire one on Upwork or other such services. These individuals will help you with your more basic tasks such as making phone calls, appointments, and other clerical tasks.

Stick To Your MIT’s

The busy life of the entrepreneur is fraught with distractions. No matter how hard you try to get things done, different situations arise that demand your attention. For this reason, you must always make sure you focus on your MIT — Most Important Task. Each day, you must have a goal in mind that you want to accomplish before packing it in.

You will likely have a number of tasks you wish to complete each day, but you’re only human. Before starting your day, identify the absolute most important thing you need to get done before quitting for the day, and make sure you complete that task. Sure, some of the less-important duties might fall by the wayside, but if this happens, you still have the peace of mind knowing that you did what was most important. This can give you another small win to celebrate when the day is over.

Use The Two-Minute Rule

One of the best ways to become more productive is to follow the two-minute rule. This concept was created by author and time management consultant David Allen. The rule says: “If you determine an action can be done in two minutes, you actually should do it right then because it’ll take longer to organize it and review it than it would be to actually finish it the first time you notice it.”

Every day is full of smaller tasks that need to be addressed at some point. If these small things can be done in two minutes, what better time is there to do it than now? This is the perfect way to prevent smaller jobs to pile up into a monster that will be more difficult to deal with later on. This will help you save time and become more productive, and less stressed.

You Can Do It!

Part of being a successful business owner is to adopt habits that make you more productive. By using these techniques, you will find that you are better organized and more effective. Remember, if you want to grow a successful business, you must work smarter, not harder.

The hacks in this piece will help you eliminate much of the hindrances that make it harder to accomplish your objectives. Not only will these tips make you more effective, but they will also help you avoid the inevitable stress and anxiety involved in business ownership.

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This article, "5 Hacks For Busy Entrepreneurs" was first published on Small Business Trends