You’ve done it. You’ve taken the plunge and become your own boss. You no longer work for anyone and no one works for you. You now get to make all of the decisions without anyone else interfering. It’s your company and you’re the boss.
Working Alone Means doing it all Yourself
One of the things Internet marketers and other business people find out soon after setting up shop is that there’s a lot of work to do and that they are the only one around to do it. Some Internet marketers prefer to do everything themselves, others hire people to do some of the more mundane jobs or the ones for which they have little knowledge or talent. Still others would prefer to hire some help but find they can’t afford to when they’re just starting out. How can one person manage to do everything? Time management skills are just as important for the lone entrepreneur as they are for the business with thousands of employees. Prioritizing is a necessary component of effective time management and you may have different priorities every day but it is necessary to identify what they are.
Schedule Daily, Weekly, and Monthly Tasks
Obviously, there are some tasks you will have to do on a daily basis and each day should start with a fresh to do list. Depending on your business, though, there are probably several tasks that you can do on a weekly basis and some that you can do on a monthly basis. It may take trial and error to figure out what these tasks are and to schedule them accordingly.
Daily tasks may include checking your email and replying back to clients or others but try to keep checking email to a minimum of no more than two or three times over the course of the day. You might be surprised at how much time can be wasted perusing email over the course of a day. If you have a subscription list that you send emails to on a daily basis, consider using one of the many products or services that can automate that for you, such as an auto responder program or service. Speaking of email, when you do check your email, manage it immediately even if you don’t answer it immediately. That is, either delete it or move it to an appropriate folder where you can easily find it when you need to. There is no greater time waster than spending time looking for something. The folders you create will depend on your individual needs, of course, but everyone should have a to do folder in their email.
As you build your business, you may decide to hire someone to help you with some aspects of your business needs. The Internet is rich with individuals who work as virtual assistants or who work in some aspect that Internet marketers will find helpful. There are various job boards, auction sites, and forums that you can use to find assistance, many of which cost very little or are free. Manage your time and your money wisely and you will grow your business at a steady rate.
Family run businesses often have unique issues compared to other types of businesses, however, family run businesses can benefit from time management skills as much as any other type of business. Communication is vital in a family run business; after all, you don’t want to waste time taking care of business that has already been taken care of.
Who is going to do What?
At the outset, family members should discuss who will be responsible for the various aspects of the business. These decisions may also be influenced by other factors, such as whether or not any of the family members have jobs outside the home as well as the unique talents of each individual. Many husband and wife teams are Internet marketers and make their entire living from this business. It can and is being done.
Dividing up the various duties of the business at the outset is the greatest time management skill you can implement. If one person doesn’t know what the other is doing, chaos can erupt. Also, even though you live with one another, don’t rely on the other person to remember everything you tell them. Use email to let your partner know of important events and deadlines.
Managing a Family Business with Children
Many Internet marketers have children and spouses who work together may need to also divide up household chores and activities with the children so that one of them can mind the business. If you have very young children, you may find that you get the bulk of your work done after they go to bed at night You might also discover that one spouse is more productive at one time of the day while the other spouse is more productive at a different time. If this is the case, don’t fight it or hassle your spouse if they are not working at the same time you are. Some people are naturally morning people while others are night owls. With the global time zones of the Internet at play, for many Internet businesses, it really doesn’t matter what time of the day or night you work.
Make Time for Family Time
Even though you and your spouse may be working together, it is still work so don’t make the mistake of thinking you are spending quality family time together while you are both working. Many people who work for themselves actually end up working harder and working longer hours than they did when they worked for someone else. If you use your time management skills to manage both your home and your business, you should still have plenty of time to lay work down and spend time together as a family. If you find that that is not happening, you may need to hire someone else to help out, either in the home or with your work so that your family life does not suffer.
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