If you own a computer, you most likely already have all the time management tools you will need at your fingertips; there’s no need to buy expensive software to help you manage your time wisely.
Manage the Phone
By far, one of the best technological advances that can help you manage your time effectively is the technology on your phone, whether it is a wireless phone or a landline. Between voicemail, caller id, call waiting, call waiting caller id, and call forwarding, you should not be wasting precious work time stuck on a phone call that you’d rather not be on in the first place. Use your phone’s features to take only the calls you want to take. Just be sure to return calls to friends or family in a timely manner.
Bookmark Websites
Although it’s fairly easy and time efficient to use an Internet search engine to search for websites and information, you can save a lot of time by bookmarking the ones you visit often. Take advantage of the technology on your computer to not only bookmark websites you visit often or plan to visit again, but organize these sites into folders. If you do this at the time you are adding them to your favorites, you will be able to find them again much sooner than if you simply add them to your favorites. If you keep all of your bookmarked websites in one generic favorite’s folder, you’ll have to scan through dozens or hundreds to find the one you’re looking for.
Organize Email
Home organization experts advise people to open their mail over the trashcan and immediately file the mail in its appropriate folder, whether that is the trashcan, a to do folder, or a folder set aside when it’s time to pay the bills. In the same way, if you will organize your email at the time you open it, you will save a lot of time and aggravation by not having to look for a specific message when you are ready to deal with it later. If you have regular clients that send you email, make folders for each client and immediately send the email to the corresponding folder. Make sure you’re using an email application that weeds out the Spam so you don’t have to weed through it at all. In addition, always add important email addresses to your address book so that important correspondence doesn’t end up in the Spam folder.
Most people don’t need to buy new and expensive gadgets to use effective time management strategies and techniques. Remember, most of the skills that have to do with effective and wise time management can be found in simple organization, self-discipline, and commitment.
One of the chief benefits of using lists to help manage all areas of your life is that you can free your mind to deal with the important things of the moment rather than trying to remember too many things at once. By committing your tasks to paper (or computer) you are less likely to forget important duties or appointments. Forgetting to get back to a customer just one time can not only lose that customer but many others as word of mouth, blogs, and reviews can broadcast that lapse in memory and end up costing you big time. Lists are, without a doubt, one of the best tools of effective time management.
Take Time to Save Time
You can actually save quite a bit of time by first taking the time to make lists. Lists are one of the best organizational tools you can use to stay on top of your business. For example, when you make a To Do list for the following day, you know at the outset what tasks you will be accomplishing and you will be eager to get them done so you can cross them off your list. Whether you need to contact customers or have equipment serviced, keeping detailed lists can save you time by keeping you on track.
List of Lists
Take a few moments to consider how some of the following lists could help you to save time in your business. You may not need to use all of them; however, even one or two of these lists could save valuable time and help you to keep customers happy.
To Do List
Master Supply List
Master Customer List
List of Service Personnel
Vendor List
Price List (Yours or for those you do business with)
Appointment List
Master Phone Number List
List of Calls to Make
Keyword List
Product List
List of Tax Deductions
Inventory List
List of Past, Present, and Future Promotions
Lists are a simple time management technique that can help keep you at the top of your game. Keeping your lists on paper or on the computer and utilizing them on a regular basis can keep you organized and save time, thus giving you more time to spend on growing your business.
Using Lists in Your Personal Life
Don’t forget to use lists in your personal life as well because keeping your personal life organized is good for your business. By utilizing time management skills in your personal life, there will be less chaos, fewer interruptions, and more time and energy to grow and manage your business. Since time really does translate into money, how well you manage your time can have a great bearing on how successful your business is.
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