image credit: Career Line
In this special feature of 'Ask Entrepreneur,' Facebook fan Louise Psarras from Carthage, N.Y., asks: As a one-person business, I feel overwhelmed, especially with three kids and pets. How can I make my time work more effectively?
Your Chance to 'Ask Entrepreneur' We enlisted our Facebook fans to ask their most pressing questions about starting and running a business. Over the next 10 weeks, our special panel of experts will offer their answers and discuss more in online chats. Mark your calendar and stay tuned for details on these future events:
- Nov. 7:Jen Groover on Time Management
- Nov. 15:Gary Vaynerchuk on Connecting with Customers
- Nov. 20:Jason Falls on Social media
- Dec. 5:Grant Cardone on Sales
- Dec. 19:Angela Jia Kim on Growing a Business
I always find it easier to categorize and prioritize my tasks before I even start my day.
I create a list of things to do and then break them down into segments. I put “places to go, errands, meetings” in one segment, “phone calls, emails, texts” in another, and so on. I also put the tasks I’m most likely to procrastinate with at the top.
Focus on one thing at a time and get that task done before moving to the next. I think that is a great way to feel small accomplishments throughout your day, instead of working here and there on a variety of things and never feeling a sense of accomplishment.
You could also minimize the amount of menial tasks you do every day by hiring an intern or assistant. The extra help could allow you to focus on more important tasks.
I also recommend finding out if there are people with whom you can partner who have a certain level of expertise to do the things that you’re not necessarily the best at or don’t particularly enjoy. And in partnering with them, it enables you to focus on what you’re good at.
When your focused at what you're good at, you’re better able to grow your business more quickly and stay creative and in the zone. Then you create a nice synergy and you can get more done.
Sharing responsibility and handing over certain tasks can be a scary thing. But keep in mind how much farther you'll be able to grow. I always tell entrepreneurs, 100 percent of $100 is still only $100. But 20 percent of $100,000 is a heck of a lot more. So if you can find someone who has the strengths to your weaknesses and vice versa, you’re going to have more to share.