Time Management Archives - Canadian Small Business Women

Nov 15 2018

Time Sucker Alert: No Prioritization System

As you begin to plan for the year to come, I want you to be sure to take some time to plan out how exactly you are going to get it all done. I have spoken before about the biggest time sucker I see time and again. Now let me walk you through the biggest prioritization issue I see with my clients, working on the WRONG stuff, and what you can do about it.

How do I know what the right stuff is?

To answer that, I’m going to share with you the highlights of my Plan to Grow process.

Have a business plan: You wouldn’t go on a road trip without a map complete with rest stops and check-ins all mapped out, and you shouldn’t do that with your business. Having a business plan allows you to layout where you want your business to go over a certain period of time (i.e five years). When you know where you are going, you can set goals and say yes or no to interrupters and shiny objects with confidence. And most importantly, you can stop spinning your wheels on things that aren’t serving you or your business.
Set goals that are going to result in significant growth in your business: With a destination point all set out, you can start building backwards, setting goals and taking on the projects that are going to progressively move your business towards where to be years from now. For this, I usually use the SMART goal setting methodwith my business and my clients.
Create a roadmap for your goals by breaking the goal down into small, manageable tasks: Once you’ve decided on the goals that you need to take on to move your business where you want it to go, it’s time to create a roadmap for each goal you’ve set. This involves breaking the goal down into small, manageable tasks through a process of starting at where you want to be and then work backwards, listing everything you are going to need to do to get to the end.
Get real about your schedule: This means figuring out where your time is going and how much time you actually have. Why? So you’re managing your own expectations and not putting unrealistic demands on yourself. When you are deciding which goals to take on and assigning them timelines, you need to have a true understanding of all the other things vying for your time. Without that knowledge, you’re going to feel overwhelmed and overextended and nothing is really going to get done.
Find someone to hold you accountable: There is nothing more powerful than having someone waiting for me to tell them about my progress to make sure I actually make some progress.

Why you need to put in this work:

When you don’t know where you are going to get the biggest return on your time investment, you end up spinning your wheels without even noticing it. It’s like throwing a bunch of spaghetti against the wall and seeing what sticks. While it may be the easier route, successful businesses just aren’t built that way. So as you begin to plan for the new year, be clear about what you want, what needs to be done to get you there, and how you’re going to do it.

Samantha King is a busy mompreneur and homeschooler with two young children and a couple of businesses at home. When Samantha’s daughter was diagnosed with autism, she had to learn how to keep her priorities aligned within her family, while operating her business at the same time. She is excited to share her knowledge to empower entrepreneurs by giving them the tools they need to do something they love while building sustainable, profitable businesses.

Contact Samantha:

Tel: 416-885-6841

Email: samantha@fempirebuilders.com

Facebook: @FempireBuilders

Twitter: @FempireBuilders

Instagram: @Fempire_Builders

Oct 16 2018

Get Creative: Who can you lean on?

I often say that as women we are pulled in a million different directions based on whatever is screaming the loudest. More times than I’d like to admit, it has left me running around like a chicken with my head cut off. Between my business, my two special needs children, my marriage and general household duties, some days there is a lot vying for my attention.

I learned a long time ago, the hard way, that I was going to need to lean on people in order to get it all done. Not someone who finds it easy to ask for help, over the years I’ve gotten pretty good about finding creative ways to manage everything I need to get done in the limited amount of time I have.

My biggest tip for those looking to do the same is: You need to outsource.

A creative way to manage your time and To-Do List

In order to have profitable businesses, we should be spending most of our time each day doing what we are great. The tasks and skill set that makes up our Zone of Excellence is what our clients pay us for, after all. But what about all of the other things that need to be done as part of running our business?

It can be hard to strike the right balance between working IN your business (completing the job your clients hire you for) and working ON your business (think administration, marketing and business development) – especially when it’s just you wearing all of the hats. Not yet quite ready to hire an employee, in years past, business owners had to tough it out in this land of limbo until budget caught up with work load.

However, that’s not the norm anymore. With the rise of remote working, more business owners are opting to run their business out of their homes and outsource the overflow work wherever possible; freeing up more time to work in their Zone of Excellence and saving on overhead costs.

If you’re just outsourcing business tasks, you’re not doing it right

When we think of outsourcing, our minds generally go straight to business tasks. During a discussion with anyone of my busy boss-mom clients, they can list off a number of business tasks they feel they should be sending to someone else to complete. I get it. As a mompreneur, who is homeschooling her children while running a business, my kitchen table often doubles as my office, and I have some remote contractors and virtual assistants helping me as I go.

But to stop at business tasks is to do yourself a disservice. In my business, I can’t outsource much; I’m the business strategist. I am the business. So I had to begin to think outside of my business tasks and start taking a closer look at the tasks in my personal life that could be handled by others.

The usual ones came up (i.e. housekeeping), but I pushed myself to dig deeper.

Here are a few others that I found:

Shop for groceries online and utilize ‘in the parking lot’ pick-up options now

offered by stores like Zehrs.

Make the local play place your office for the morning so you can work while you children are entertained
List of chores that can be done by your children with some training (i.e. my daughter has been putting her own laundry away since she was three)
Kid friendly meetings where mompreneurs can network and collaborate while our children play
Laundry services that will take your laundry, wash it and bring it back dry and folded
Because I am a night owl, I outsourced bedtime routine to Dad so that I could work uninterrupted from shortly after dinner until my bedtime.

Contact Samantha:

Tel: 416-885-6841

Email: samantha@fempirebuilders.com

Facebook: @FempireBuilders

Twitter: @FempireBuilders

Instagram: @Fempire_Builders

Aug 05 2018

Winning communicate skills for entrepreneurs

There are more than a few necessary skillsets you need for the success of your business, and the one you cannot underestimate is the art of communication. How we do this is varied, ever changing and necessary for attracting and keeping your current customers. It is so important it may be best to think of communication as your actual income strategy because it’s impact controls how much money you can and will make.

If we recognize how crucial good communication skills to the value of your business, it’s going to make prioritizing your skills development as important as any other area in your business. A key place to start this development is with a focus on the “art of the follow up.” With work in this area you can hone your communication skills to develop the most effective ways to talk to your customers. What would it mean to focus on this area? It would mean showing the people who you communicate with that they matter to you. So, how do you do that?

Most of these items you already know but here are a few thoughts:

Deal with and return any communications in a timely manner – do you have a plan for managing instant messaging, phone calls and email inquiries successfully? What does that structure look like?
Consider having a written response plan covering the eventualities that can affect your connections. Guarantee to respond within 2 hours (or less) using the same method your customer reached out to you and let them know about this guarantee in your customer info outlets.
As your business grows, you may find (because of your great communication skills) that responding to your customer enquiries is something you can outsource to a competent VA. You may find that setting up a “self-serve” appointment booking system would free up the back and forth activities that happen when trying to line up schedules and services. There are many cost-effective systems that can streamline this task and take some of the pressure off.
Use your email signature to best effect with helpful links to areas of interest for your clients.
Create a meaningful FAQ section that helps customers to get the information they need and free you up to provide personalized, high quality service and connection that represents the quality of your business.
Check if (Facebook) messenger bots can help support your business. Many people use instant messaging to get quick responses these days, which is great if not disruptive to say the least. How will you manage this type of activity and can these messenger bots help you connect, support and communicate in ways that work for you and your customer.

Using these types of processes bring several business-building results, such as: letting the people you communicate with that they matter to them, and you are acknowledging them in their moment of need, even more than just being polite about returning their call.

You will build your business reputation as you become reliably responsive to your customers. Setting expectations around your response times and methods will also help streamline your operations and provide space to provide the services you’ve worked so hard to create while providing space for business growth. All this brings opportunity knocking at your door as it grows your bottom line. This reputation growth also leads to great things like joint ventures and partnerships as it brings you closer to your financial goals. Everyone wins when we finetune communication skills and serve our customers where they live. Something we can measure and improve by putting communication with our customers first.

Barbara Jemmott is the founder and business strategist at Your Entrepreneurial Spirit. Her 4-point YES to Customer Acquisition Program (C.A.P.) allows her to work her passion which is helping entrepreneurial women grow their audiences and income, online. She got here through her 20+ years of experience helping businesses understand and implement systems, strategies and procedures to increase productivity as well implement change and streamline operations. With experience and responsibilities to design, develop and deliver training for small to large technology training initiatives for Fortune 100 companies, she brings “Big Business” expertise to the small business space. Learn more about Your Entrepreneurial Spirit and the YES to Customer Acquisition Program at www.yourentrepreneurialspirit.com

Apr 07 2018

It all gets done!

What is the single most troublesome factor for almost any person, any where and at any time? It’s time, or more specifically Time Management. We all struggle with it and not one of us ever claims, emphatically, that we have a handle on it. We all want more time, need more time or wish we had more time. If time is something you struggle with, consider these tips:

Break your day into “Manageable Chunks.”

Tackling your “to do” list all at once can be overwhelming especially when there are 20+ (or more!) things that need to be done and all before the end of the week. So sort your list into “manageable chunks” of activities that can be performed at the same time. This is different from multi-tasking – this is about scheduling yourself blocks of time to complete like-minded tasks.
Do all the work for one client on one day. For me, as a content creator, I might chunk out both the social media posting and social media blogging for each of my clients for the same day and time each week.
When you are self-employed, chunk out a specific time of the week (or month) to do all of your dreaded accounting tasks. Don’t let anything else interrupt you.
Block out time for business related errands that can all be done in a “travel loop” starting at one end of town and finishing up back at home ready to take on your next chunk. Better to set aside one whole afternoon for trips to your local business supply chain store, the post office and banking then to do a little bit each day, risk getting stuck in traffic or sidetracked by a sale and lose three hours of time instead of your scheduled one hour errand.

Doing what makes sense when it makes sense.

Send emails when you can, even if that’s six in the morning or nine at night. Emails can be read by the recipient at any time and unless it’s something requiring urgent attention, focus your work efforts on WORK during the day and send emails before or after the day is over. You can always schedule a “manageable chunk” of time in the middle of your day to deal with urgent inbox items, just don’t get distracted by all the other mail you see sitting there.
Making phone calls DOES need to happen during the business day so make sure you have a chunk of time set aside for that. Mornings are better – before meetings begin, plus it ensures your client has the whole day to return your call.
While we’re at it – everyone needs a break so be sure to schedule time for time off. The self-employed are notorious for working odd hours and eating at their desk and sometimes you have to for sure. BUT, scheduling time for mini-breaks throughout the day will actually make you more productive. Knowing you have break time to look forward to creates laser-like focus on getting work done.

Planning and Goal Setting – it’s Spring….Do a calendar-clearing overhaul.

I get it. At the start of the new year, chances are you opened up that shiny new desk calendar and began writing neatly on each page, planning your month “oh so carefully.” Somewhere around mid-February with the winter blahs settling in and your busy schedule taking over, you suddenly start scribbling notes in the margins, scratching out one “to do” and replacing it with another “more important” one and then adding the original “to do” back onto your list, albeit farther down! Clients call you, priorities shift and before you know it your daily diary is a disaster. Add in family demands and the odd Doctor or Dentist appointment and suddenly your schedule is sketchy at best. Use spring as the excuse to do a calendar-clearing overhaul and re-prioritize your priorities.
You know what else spring is a good excuse for? Practising how to say “No.” As entrepreneurs our temptation is to treat everything as a potential opportunity and you never want to be seen as turning away business but sometimes the absolute best thing you can do for yourself, your family AND your business is just say “NO.” You might also want to consider a family wall calendar where every activity for every member of the household is tracked so anyone can see where anyone else is supposed to be at any given time.
Technology is my Diary. If this is you and writing stuff down is dated and old-fashioned, make sure you are using technology properly. There are a number of planning tools available for both business and personal planning and some great ones like COZI that allows you to plan for the whole family. Every Android and Smartphone device have calendars on them – just be sure you are utilizing all their features to their maximum. Use the notifications and alarms scheduling features frequently if that’s what it takes!

Finally – when all else fails: Take a deep breath and remember – in the end, despite our best efforts to sabotage ourselves – it all gets done!

As Owner and Principal partner of “Writing Right For You” Sheralyn is a Communications Strategist – working together with entrepreneurs to maximize profit through effective use of the written word. Looking for web content that works, blog articles that engage or communications strategies that help you get noticed? Contact Sheralyn today. Sheralyn is also the mother of two children now entering the “terrible and terrific teens” and spends her free time volunteering for several non-profit organizations.

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

#timemanagment, #COZI, #gettingthingsdone, #itallgetsdone, #entrepreneur, #self-employed, #scheduling, #planning, #familytime, “ContentCreator

Apr 05 2018

Are you obsessed with time management?

I think we can all agree that time management is a very good thing, however, there are situations where people tend to take the whole idea of using their time wisely to the extreme. When this happens, the crucial goal of managing your time gets lost in “the busy” and the drive to cram too much into too little time. When it gets to this point, the process of managing your time ceases to be a help and becomes a burden instead. It may be that you can become obsessed with managing your time!

There are several early warning signs that you are may be on the edge of abusing time management rather than use it to your best advantage:

Multitasking is your thing

In today’s world, as women we tend to pride ourselves at being able to multitask our way through the day. It’s not unusual for us to handle more than two or more tasks at a time, and we start to do this without thinking. If the tasks in question can be conducted concurrently without causing a great deal of stress we tend to overlook what’s really going on and work on autopilot by dividing our focus and our talent to get through the day. How often, for example, do we participate on a webinar or conference call while also sending instant messages and email to keep things flowing? Ok, two activities can actually work together without any real difficulty.

Things can get tricky when you attempt to take on two or more labor-intensive tasks at the same time, however. This can lead to a great deal of inner conflict and possibly have a negative impact on the quality applied to each of the tasks involved. In other words, instead of ending up with one task done well, you have two (or more) tasks that may be completed but are barely acceptable.

Some people find they just can’t stop multitasking even when it is not necessary. The idea behind this approach is that the multitasking will make it easier to finish all the action items currently on the agenda and enjoy some well-earned downtime. Unfortunately, when you become obsessed with multitasking to manage your time you’ll never really get around to having any downtime. Instead, you’ll finish one set of projects and immediately start looking for another set to do.

Multitasking as part of time management is fine, provided it’s done wisely. When it becomes an end in and of itself rather than a means to reach a goal, it is time to step back and re-evaluate your approach.

You Feel Guilty If You Are Not Doing Something

Many of us live our lives from the edge of guilt. We worry about doing the right thing, for the right people, at the right time and we often find ourselves agonizing over the way we do things. Guilt can be an effective tool when it comes to keeping us on track, but guilty feelings when there is nothing to feel guilty about is another matter altogether (and we’re very good at finding those matters). When guilt creeps into the time management process, it is usually an indicator that you have begun to believe on some level that unless you’re are not actively engaged in some task, you’re are not managing your time well.

While it is important to take care of necessary tasks in a timely manner, you do need some time to simply relax and recharge. If you look at it from this perspective, failing to include time for rest and recreation is a breach of good time management policies. If you deny your mind and your body of what it needs to be healthy, you are defeating the purpose of time management, and setting yourself up for a fall at some future point.

You become annoyed with others who don’t do as you do

One of the ways people validate their actions is by comparing them with what other people do. After all, if others are using the same approaches and methods to time management that we are, that means we are on the right track. However, when you’re in your zone and people do things differently, we may assume they are wrong and we are right, something has gone wrong with our sense of time management.

We know that everyone brings different talents and abilities to a given task, so taking this to the next level means there are in fact more than one right approach when tackling the same tasks or projects. People who have a balanced view of time management realize this and even welcome the opportunity to learn something new. However, if you assume your way is the only right way you may be on the defensive and find fault with as many aspects of the alternative method as possible.

Again, this negative point of view isn’t really in keeping with true time management principles. Not only does this mindset make it impossible to be exposed to new ways of managing tasks and possibly saving time, it also can create a great deal of stress and friction for everyone concerned. If you are working with a team or delegating responsibilities, having this mindset can upset everyone’s ability to manage time effectively, meaning no one progresses as quickly as they would if all parties could learn from one another and respect individual working styles.

It may be time to check in with yourself and the way you manage your time! The bottom line is that you can become so obsessed with time management that the good you’ve created may start to unravel, putting you in a position where you are more likely to struggle and fail. When this happens, you’ll find your obsession with structured time management may be worse than when you didn’t attempt any time management practices at all.

Barbara Jemmott is the founder and business strategist at Your Entrepreneurial Spirit. Her 4-point YES to Customer Acquisition Program (C.A.P.) allows her to work her passion which is helping entrepreneurial women grow their audiences and income, online. She got here through her 20+ years of experience helping businesses understand and implement systems, strategies and procedures to increase productivity as well as implementing change and streamlining operations. With experience and responsibilities to design, develop and deliver training for small to large technology training initiatives for Fortune 100 companies, she brings “Big Business” expertise to the small business space. Learn more about Your Entrepreneurial Spirit and the YES to Customer Acquisition Program at www.yourentrepreneurialspirit.com

Sep 21 2016

Are you spending your time effectively on Facebook?

Are you spending time looking at the right parts of your Facebook business page? It’s so easy to get distracted by “shiny things” on Facebook, but as a business owner it’s important to stay focused on your goal to connect with your followers. Having a strategy for your social media marketing should also include regular maintenance on your Facebook page to ensure that what you are posting and sharing is actually connecting with the right followers.

Update the “About” tab on your Facebook Business Page regularly. Take a few minutes at least once a month to revisit and revise the fields with important information about your business. In particular, ensure that the Short Description, Long Description and all contact details are up-to-date and accurate.
Review the Insights for your Facebook Business Page often to analyze what posts are reaching your audience and are engaging your followers. The Insights can help you identify the best time to post and can provide you with more demographic information about the people who engage with your Page.
Monitor the interaction on your posts and be sure to reply to all comments quickly! The average social media user expects a reply within 1 hour to a comment that they make on social media. Be considerate of the time someone took to make a comment, and respond in kind, even if just to say Thank You!
Share your involvement in local or online events and be sure to create event listing for events that your business is hosting. Invite your friends and contacts to join your event page for updates and event information. If you are participating in someone else’s event, you can add that event to your page’s event listing without creating a new event. This helps to connect your business page with others, thus increasing your visibility!
Know when to spend money on boosted posts and promotions on Facebook and allocate an appropriate budget for this purpose. Keep in mind that you should first set up target audiences in Facebook Ad Manager before spending any money on promotions. The more time you spend to target the right demographic, the more return you will see on your ad spend.

To learn more about how to maximise the effectiveness of your Facebook marketing efforts, schedule a complimentary consultation with Teach Me Social. Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over four years. Teach Me Social offers effective social media services which include training sessions and consulting as well as full-service social media account management.

Aug 21 2016

When to follow technology trends in social media

There is a big difference between jumping on the bandwagon just because “everyone else is doing it” and adding a new tech trend as part of your overall digital marketing strategy. The rate of change in the world of technology, especially for business, is extremely fast-paced and keeping up with the new apps, website trends and social media features can be a very daunting task. Despite the challenges that come with keeping up, it can be very beneficial to be an early adopter of new technologies and digital shifts.

First come, first serve

The first users on many new platforms, websites or apps are usually privy to special offers and features. On social media, the early arrivals are almost always the first to develop a large following of other early arrivals, who also tend to be more engaged and loyal than new followers later on.

Work out the kinks

Getting on board with a new feature or platform also give you ample time to work out the kinks, a time when making mistakes are part of the game and adds authenticity to your brand. Part of social media is the allure of being able to see behind the curtain of a logo and glimpse the authentic personality driving the message. Working out the kinks and figuring out a new platform with other early adopters also sets you up as a leader and expert when the rest of the crowd follows you.

Staying Current

If your brand stands for ingenuity, creativity or innovation in any way, then getting on board and being part of the initial phase could play a huge role in setting your brand up as a leader in forward thinking. When your brand shares their enthusiasm by joining in on trending topics on social media, it shows your followers that you are current, relevant and engaged.

Beware of shiny things

All that being said, the biggest danger with new technologies is the “shiny things syndrome”! It’s happened to the best of us – like children, we are easily attracted to new things and can get sucked into spending hours playing with new features and testing out new toys.

To avoid getting sucked into new technologies that are not going to see an overall benefit for your small business, you can ask yourself these questions:

Will using this tool attract new customers to my business?
Is my target demographic already using this tool?
Will my business benefit from being part of a trending conversation online?
How much time can I afford to spend daily using a new technology tool?

If you weigh the pros and cons of each new tool, it becomes easier to identify trends that will have a positive impact on your business and ones that may not be worth your time investment. In most cases, it is always a good idea to get advice from an expert or other small business owners. Attending networking events and joining online communities (like Canadian Small Business Women) are great ways to know what other entrepreneurs are doing online and where they are focusing their energy.

Teach Me Social owner Kelly Farrell has been helping empower Canadian Small Business owners through social media for over four years. Teach Me Social now offers services ranging from training sessions for small business owners and their teams to full-service social media account management. Visit teachmesocial.ca to learn more about our service offerings or to book a no obligation consultation, including an audit of your existing social media channels.

Jul 15 2016

3 Ways Establishing Priorities Makes Life Easier

We all have moments when everything seems like it needs to be done right away. ASAP seems to be the deadline for everything these days. In order to avoid overwhelm and frustration, it’s important to establish priorities in all areas of our lives, and here’s why:

Priorities help us create boundaries

When you have identified what’s important to you, it makes it easier to say yes to the right opportunities and no to others. When we aren’t sure what a priority is for us, it can be easy to get caught up in other people’s priorities. We find ourselves unable to say no to things that we don’t want to do because we aren’t clear on where we want to be focusing our time and energy. If you don’t want to feel like you’re constantly being pulled in every direction, you need to establish your priorities and share them with the people in your life!

It helps us to manage our time

When we know what our priorities are, we know where to focus our time. We aren’t easily distracted by shiny objects, and we don’t wake up in the morning wondering what we should tackle today. Priorities help us focus on our goals, on what’s important to us. Too many of us are busy giving big time to small tasks. When we are clear on our priorities we give our time to things that matter. Consider the goose that laid the golden eggs. What completed tasks will bring you closer to achieving other things on your to-do list? Figuring this out can help you establish priorities that will help get you closer to accomplishing your goals.

Priorities help us maintain momentum

When we know what’s important to us, we give it constant attention. You know what I’m talking about. You’re working on a project and when you look at the time you wonder where the last 5 hours went. When we’re passionate about something we eat, sleep and drink it. Establishing priorities fuels our purpose. It gives us permission to focus on the things that matter to us. You can’t make something a priority without committing to it. Commitment means doing it even when we don’t feel like it. It gives us power to push through even the most difficult challenges.

Without priorities we can feel like we’re spinning our wheel s in mud. It’s easy to get overwhelmed and frustrated by everything there is to do when you have no idea where to start. Taking the time to sit with your tasks and prioritize them will save you a lifetime of future hassle and aggravation. Have you set your priorities for the next 30 days?

If you need help identifying your priorities, check out these free tools designed to help you prioritize your life.

Sandra Dawes is a certified life coach specializing in helping women who feel unfulfilled with their 9-5 follow their dreams and pursue their passions. She holds an Honours BA, an MBA as well as a certificate in Dispute Resolution. She has completed her first book,Embrace Your Destiny: 12 Steps to Living the Life You Deserve!

Connect:

www.embraceyourdestiny.ca

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestiny

www.facebook.com/embraceyourdestinythebook

www.twitter.com/sandradawes

Jul 07 2016

Life Lessons

I learned a valuable lesson recently when life got in the way of business. My mother had a saying when we were kids that went like this: “Never put off til tomorrow what you can get done today.” Seems I had been putting off a few to many things recently and as a result, when hit with an unexpected two day, all consuming event, I was left with nothing in reserve to help keep my business going, even during such a short absence. It turns out Mother was right after all.

As small business entrepreneurs and/or solopreneurs we tend to do a huge chunk (if not all!) of the work associated with our business by ourselves. We try to be all things to all people: the bookkeeper, the sales team, the designer, the writer etc. This can result in things getting missed, particularly if they are not scheduled well ahead of time. Social Media posts are easy to book ahead but scheduling multiple deadlines and juggling several important deliverables requires skillful management of your calendar. Letting even one thing slide or thinking, “I can get this done tomorrow” can have a catastrophic effect if life gets in the way and makes other plans for you!

Don’t play catch-up. Use a time-management or even a project-management tool to stay on top of work demands and ahead of the game. That way, when a curveball comes your way, you’re prepared. By the way, this record-breaking “shortest post ever,” on a topic that has nothing to do with communications (considered my specialty) has been brought to you by “The Procrastinator”- me!

Sheralyn Roman B.A., B.Ed.

Writing Right For You

Communications Strategies that help you GET TO THE POINT!

416-420-9415 Cell/Business

writingrightforyou@gmail.com

Mar 04 2015

The Four P’s of Time Management

As entrepreneurs there’s one thing we always wish we had more of – time! Running your own business is a full time 24h/ day job! Finding a way to balance everything we have going on in our lives can be challenging. Time management is a key skill that all entrepreneurs should work to gain and improve. Here are a few things to keep in mind when managing your time:

Plan
Before you can manage your time you need to know exactly what you want to get done. It’s always good to have a short term (daily) and long term (weekly) plan for your business and your life in general. Take time to write down what tasks you’d like to have done and completed. It’s important to set daily and weekly goals for yourself.

Prioritize
Once you have your goals for each day set out you need to figure out which ones are more important. Prioritizing your tasks is a key component of time management. For example if you have a task that requires more time or concentration try to focus on that at the beginning of your day when you’re fresh and ready to work. It’s always better to get the more challenging/less appealing tasks done and out of the way first.

Push
Once you’ve started your daily tasks, make it a point to push through them and complete them. One of the biggest challenges of being your own boss is not having anyone to report to or watch over you- this can lead to procrastination and a less than stellar work ethic. So once you start on your tasks make sure to stick with it and complete them.

Party
Remember to set a side a few hours everyday for some unplanned fun. This could be some quiet time for yourself, time used to complete extra tasks or even time to meet with friends. The thought of planning for the unplanned may seem a little redundant it’s always good to have a few extra hours in your schedule. Although we work hard as entrepreneurs we need to be able to take a break and enjoy the perks of being our own boss as well.

Praveeni Perera is the CEO and co-founder of Professional Edge Consulting a corporate training company based in Ottawa offering training and coaching services to clients around the world. She can be reached via Website, Twitter, Facebook or her Blog.

Jun 29 2014

Easy Steps to Overcome Procrastination and Achieve Your Goals

I’ll start my business this year, I’ll start writing my business plan next week, I’ll start my diet on Monday, I’ll follow-up on that new lead next week… and unfortunately we sometimes never get round to it and miss out on fantastic opportunities, or come next year, we are still struggling with the same goals.

Procrastination is one thing we can all easily fall prey to, but what differentiates each of us, as well highly successful people is our ability to overcome procrastination in order to achieve our goals. While it may be easier said than done, those who choose to be motivated and complete necessary tasks are those who are able to see results and move ahead onto bigger goals and aspirations. Here are five easy steps you can take to help you overcome procrastination.

1. Know Your ‘Why’

I love the story John Maxwell shares in his book ‘15 Invaluable Laws of Growth’. While a salesman looks out of the hotel restaurant window, he asks the waiter if he thinks the roads will be clear enough to travel the next morning. And the waiter responds, “Depends on if you are on salary or commission”. The first step to achieving your goals and overcoming that lethargic feel of procrastination is having a strong ‘WHY’; one that is worth fighting for and motivates you whenever you see yourself beginning to procrastinate.

2. Dive Right In

We often procrastinate because we fear that a task will take too long, or that we don’t have the skills to complete it successfully, or that we’ll magically find the time later to finish it. Oftentimes the best way to put a stop to procrastination is to stop thinking and simply dive right in. Once you get started, you’ll begin to figure out how to complete the task i.e. necessary steps or resources required, otherwise it’ll remain untouched, unfinished, and continue to be a roadblock to your success.

3. Learn Proper Goal Setting

Writing down a list of the top things you’d like to get done this year is only the tip of the iceberg when it comes to goal setting. Goals should be broken down into:

Overall goal > Monthly goals > Weekly goals > Daily goals

By breaking your goals into smaller and more specific steps, you increase the likelihood of them being completed. Also ensure your goals are time-framed, giving yourself specific target dates to complete tasks by.

4. Get Your Motivation Going

For many, once we have our strong ‘WHY’ in front of us, as well as see how easily a big goal can be broken down into manageable bite sized pieces, we feel less overwhelmed and more motivated. However, if you still struggling with driving yourself to get things done, analyse how procrastination is preventing you from reaching personal and professional success; make two lists of the pros and cons, listing all the drawbacks of procrastination that you can think of, and then list the benefits. This should remind you how much procrastination is holding you back. If necessary, tack that list up somewhere visible to remind yourself.

5. Practice Good Time Management

Getting things done is largely about properly managing your time. Not sure if you’re a big time waster? Then do this: spend one week writing down how you’re spending your time from the moment you get up to the minute you go to bed. Chances are you’ll be shocked by how much time you’ve allowed to go to waste.

BONUS: By reviewing how you’re spending your time, you’ll likely find that there are tasks that you can delegate or outsource to others, or tasks that you can stop doing completely to free up more of your time. Here is a piece I wrote on how to delegate effectively.

Yesterday you said tomorrow, today is the day! Start doing.

Want to identify what may be stopping from achieving yours and find strategies you can implement to get you started? Attend our free and complimentary webinar on July 3^rd Click here to sign up for the webinar

Download my Free eBook and uniquely designed Templates “4 weeks to Achieving & Executing Your Goals!” to help you get started now. http://eepurl.com/xeDrf

Yvonne is a Change Consultant, Speaker & John Maxwell Coach who is passionate about working with Individuals, Entrepreneurs and Organisations to implement change, drive results and achieve their goals. She can be reached at: www.facebook.com/oliveblueinc, www.twitter.com/oliveblueinc, www.oliveblue.com

Nov 05 2013

Time is of the Essence : 5 Time Management Tips

The old saying that Time and Tide wait for none rings true even in the modern and developed world. This can explain the reason why time management has become a very important topic in the business world today. Time lost can never be gained. Follow the tips given below to better organize your time only manage your time and make maximum use of the time available to you. Good organization is key to good time management.

1. Plan your day to sail smoothly
Effective planning is crucial to time management. When planning your day, make sure to list the tasks according to the level of priority. Prioritize your work according to their importance. This way you can be sure that the important tasks get done. Place a check mark or strike out the tasks once completed. You can also stipulate a time frame within which you need to complete each task. It’s important to remember that you are bound to be interrupted and disturbed while you engage in completing your tasks, so schedule time for such disturbances and interruptions. Once you complete your task list, you have a better idea of what your day is going to be like.

2. Set a goal and go for it
Planning your day without a goal is very detrimental to achieving success in time management. It is important to set goals and targets for yourself as you go through your planned tasks or activities. Your goals and targets should be achievable and realistic. You can dedicate a few minutes of your time before a task to plan how to carry out that task to success and a few minutes after the task, to figure out if you achieved the result you wanted.

3. Set deadlines for yourself
Each of your tasks should have a designated deadline within which to be completed. This way you will not spend extra time on one particular task or call. Some tasks can prolong for a day or two but it’s essential that every task have a stipulated completion deadline. Blocking out distractions and even placing a sign that says “Do Not Disturb” is a good way to stay focused to meet your deadline.

4. Delegate, delegate, delegate
Delegating work is another tip to adhere to for good time management. No one can do everything by themselves. There will be opportunities and necessity to delegate your work to another person, and when these opportunities arise, make use of them. A person who has a specialty or interest in a task that you have to accomplish, will be able to accomplish that same task more easily and also faster than you. Be alert and look out for such opportunities as they will free up time that you can devote to another task. As an entrepreneur it’s a good idea to invest in an intern or personal assistant. This way you can delegate everyday tasks and have more time to focus on growing your business.

5. Take a “ME” break from TIME
Get into the habit of saving precious time by doing the right thing at the right time. Plan and take time for yourself either to make a personal phone call or update social media. This will give a breath of fresh air and rejuvenate you to tackle the tasks lined up for the rest of the day or at least for the next hour or two. It is not possible to focus steadily for a whole day and get good results. The odds are that 20% of your activities for the day produce 80% of the results.

Effective time management is the result of good organization; being proactive and focused on the results you want to achieve for yourself. Good organization also means that you know what is on your desk at any given time. Unwanted papers belong in the waste paper basket and not on your desk. Files and documents can be organized in an orderly fashion so there will be no time wasted in looking for a document or file.

Much time is wasted in offices globally on “Gossip”. Gossip is not only a time killer but also a relationship killer. Anyone interested in managing their time should have no time for gossip.

Effective time management results in being focused on the end result. Set reminders, use calendars. There are many tools and software available to the professional today for effective time management and it would do one well to make maximum use of them.

At the end of each day, go through the plan you did at the beginning of the day and determine for yourself if your day was productive. Following these guidelines will help you build a productive day and a productive life style.

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