How to Manage Your Time More Effectively in Business

It’s no secret that every day we have to manage our time effectively, be it with social engagements or family matters but in the corporate world, the most important thing is managing your time in business.  Sometimes it feels like 24 hours in a day isn’t enough to get all of this accomplished, especially for entrepreneurs who have the added responsibility of managing their entire business unlike their employees who only have to manage their daily workloads.  Employers want to hire people who can prioritize and manage their work effectively.  There’s often less resources and less time to manage your workload and meet the demands of your job.  This puts a lot of pressure on workers in terms of how they can get things done quickly and efficiently with less.  Time management is critical in business and below are some tips to help you do it better.

Create a general work schedule for each day so that you can decide how to best spend your time.  Use your calendar effectively and efficiently.  Put every meeting, appointment, speaking engagement, email to send, phone call to make and deadline in it with alert notifications so that you’ll know when you need to be somewhere or when tasks are due.  Link your calendar to your mobile device so you can have it on you at all times.

Create a to-do list for the week.  The best thing to do is plan for tomorrow a day ahead.  Before you leave work, the last thing you should do is make sure that you have a list made of tasks that need to be completed tomorrow or that require urgent attention the following day.  This way, when you head into work the next day, you are already one step ahead or the game and all set to go.  Flag tasks in order of importance so you’ll know what you should focus on first thing in the morning.

Break big tasks into smaller tasks.  Sometimes it’s hard to know where to begin when a major project comes your way.  In order to confront it head on, you should break it down into sections.  This will allow you to know what to do first and will reduce stress.  You can batch small tasks together and set more time aside for bigger tasks.  This way you’ll have the entire project complete on time.

Ignore distractions as best you can.  Turn off your cell phone at work and stay away from personal email and social networking sites as much as you can.  While you might need a break every once and a while, try not to goof off or you will lose valuable time and will create more stress and a longer day for yourself overall.  Think about setting aside 30 minutes a day for personal matters and devote the rest of your time to work that way you can take a break and not feel overwhelmed but still complete your assignments in a timely fashion.

Try not to multitask.  While it’s often hard to stay away from this trap as often multiple things need to be completed at once, set aside time for each project individually.  Don’t forget: some tasks take priority over others.  Recognize what’s most important to reaching your daily goals and meeting your deadlines.

Build flexibility into your schedule.  As I mentioned above, we all need a break from time to time.  If you map out your day for yourself and devote a certain amount of time to each task and do it quickly and efficiently, you’ll have more time to focus on personal matters or other things besides work that need to be taken care of in your life, such as doctors appointments or going to your children’s school plays (should you have them).

Take steps to reduce stress.  First figure out how much stress you can handle and then set aside time to reduce it.  While many people often eat lunch at their desks or work right through it and skip it all together, think about at least taking a walk around the block once a day for some fresh air or going out to grab a coffee.  Reducing stress will allow you to better manage your time.

Lastly and most importantly, build a daily routine and stick to it.  As I mentioned, keep your calendar up to date, create a task list, break projects down by importance, find a little personal time for yourself, etc.  If you approach your work life the same way every day, you’ll be better equipped to manage your time more effectively and efficiently.

So what have you learned here today?  What’s your favorite trick or best kept secret to most effectively managing your time in the workplace?  Leave a comment and let me know.  Feedback is always valued and appreciated!

Here are some articles you might want to check out about managing your time more effectively in business:

“How to Manage Your Time”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/80756

“10 Time Management Tips That Work”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/219553

“5 Tips for Managing Your Time”: http://business.nab.com.au/5-tips-for-managing-your-time-2988/

“4 Time Management Tips for the Chronically Overworked”: http://www.businessinsider.com/4-time-management-tips-for-the-chronically-overworked-2013-8

Until next time…

How to Find Your Creativity in Business

As the corporate business world evolves and grows, creativity is an increasingly essential part of running a successful organization.  Not only thinking creatively yourself but encouraging those around you to be creative is vital to leading a successful company.  While creativity is hard to define and eludes many of us when we need it the most, if you start to think in new and innovative ways you can indeed tap into your creative mind.  In essence, creativity is a muscle you need to flex every day and learn to make it grow stronger with each passing milestone.  So how to find your creativity in business?

While it might go against everything you know and have been taught in the past, question authority.  Ignore the status-quo and go beyond it.  While you may have had a boss in the corporate world, being an entrepreneur means being your own boss and so therefore, you have the power to decide who you want to be in corporate America and where you want to take the vision of your company and help it grow.  While you don’t want to forget every lesson you’ve learned, you should still learn to think outside the box.

Don’t act your age.  You might want to consider tapping into the creative mind you had as a child.  Think about what your passions were and revisit them.  How did you think when you drew a picture in art class or when you needed to complete a creative writing assignment?  Again, flex that creative muscle.  Age is just a number so no matter how old you are or how late in life you’re pursuing your dream as an entrepreneur, try to connect with all that was wonderful about your youth.  This will enliven your creative mind.  Get lost in your work just as you did as a child and remember how those endless days of freedom made you feel.  Delve into a project and get lost in it and lost in time.  Don’t watch the clock.  Just because your business doesn’t take off from day one doesn’t mean you can’t take time to explore the road you want to take to get there.

Be generous with yourself and others.  Make sure you get enough sleep and exercise and you will nourish your creative mind.  Give yourself space to create and a place where you alone dictate the rules.  If you have employees, give them paid time off or the ability to go to personal appointments.  Allow both yourself and them to take breaks and give your mind muscle time to relax.  When you refresh your brain, creativity follows.  “Know what you need in order to create and do not relinquish the parameters you have set.”

Exchange ideas with others.  Brainstorm with your team and take their ideas seriously.  They may have inspiring thoughts that will inspire you and your own creativity in return.  Once you’ve created an environment that works for you, you should definitely turn to others for advice, whether it’s a mentor, friend or colleague.  Even though you might find yourself with less time, the more you expose yourself to others and what they have to offer in terms of idea exchange and experience, the more you open yourself up to the world and can tap into your creativity.  You can learn a lot from the world around you if you take the time to sit up and take notice and take in all it has to offer.  This doesn’t mean you have to take everyone’s advice and ideas to heart but try to listen and be as open-minded as possible and creativity will follow.  That I can promise you!

Get honest with yourself and be truthful.  There’s no point in creating if it doesn’t ring true to you.  Of course the truth is always relative but still you must always follow your gut instincts.  No two people think or feel the same way about a situation but it doesn’t mean you can’t listen and embrace what other people have to say and then take a deeper look at your ideas as a result.

Always observe and question, whether it be authority or another person’s take on your business ideas and goals.  Don’t be naïve and just follow the pack.  Be a leader.  Step out on your own and stand up to authority and the strict rules and regulations of the corporate world.  This will allow your creativity to flow freely.  The power of your work always resides in your truth.

Be a dreamer.  There’s nothing wrong with chasing your dreams because if you do and don’t give up, you can very likely achieve them.  Remember dreaming inspires creativity and creativity inspires dreaming.  If you dream about your success and where you want to take your business, you can indeed take it there.  Envision what you want your future and the future of your company to look like and you can achieve it!

Evaluate.  There always comes a time in the creative process when you must think critically and use your judgment to the best of your ability.  In fact, it’s indeed necessary to business success.  You want to be in the right mindset when you create your ideas so you can implement them into business solutions that every entrepreneur needs to meet.

Lastly, dive in head first and don’t be afraid to do it.  Remember as a child when you reached the highest diving board?  Maybe you stepped back for a second and pondered whether or not you should in fact dive in.  If you were brave enough to do so, do the same in business.  After you’ve figured out how to implement your ideas, embrace them and immerse yourself fully into them and you will arrive at your goals and can make your business dreams a reality.

While some of these suggestions I’ve raised today might seem out of the ordinary for an entrepreneur, consider them thoroughly.  Being as creative as possible, leads to new ideas that your competitors may not have already thought of and that can obviously make you stand out as an innovative thinker and lead yourself to build an exciting and innovative company.  Open yourself up to creativity or rather, find your creativity and express it and business success will follow.

So what have you learned here today?  Do you agree with my thoughts on finding your creativity in business?  Are there other techniques you’ve implemented in your own business that have led on to success or have you used some of the recommendations listed above?  Leave a comment and let me know how you feel so that we can bounce ideas off each other, that is in fact one of the most important aspects to thinking creatively.

Here are some articles you might want to check out about how to find your creativity in business:

“Reclaim Your Creative Confidence”: http://hbr.org/2012/12/reclaim-your-creative-confidence

“The Business of Being Creative”: http://www.thebusinessofbeingcreative.com/

“How to Be More Creative and Productive at Work”: http://www.good.is/posts/how-to-be-more-productive-and-creative-at-work-play-more

“9 Tips to Amplify Creativity in Any Business”: http://brainzooming.com/creative-thinking-9-tips-to-amplify-creativity-in-any-business-by-john-q-harrington/19083/

Until next time...

How to Build a Successful Company

Almost every day there are entrepreneurs starting up new businesses but the hard truth is that only some succeed.  In fact, 90% of small businesses fail within the first two years, mostly because many business owners fail to plan their needs appropriately.  In fact, having your own startup has almost become status-quo in today’s market.  So why do some new businesses fail while others succeed?  There’s no reason you can build a successful company if you follow some of the rules below.

Obviously, the most critical part of having a successful startup is to have good ideas and, of course, be willing to act on them.  A stellar entrepreneur works harder than anyone else to pursue his or her dreams and goals.  They also look to others and either learn from their successes or learn from their mistakes.  Learn how to avoid the pitfalls of those who have failed and carve out a different plan for yourself.  Come up with a different model for your own endeavor.

Just do it!  Entrepreneurs and small business owners often don’t have the luxury of having assistants and employees and HR departments to begin with, although that may come in time as your business grows.  Often you are the one required to do all the work but if you are willing to, then there’s no reason you can’t build a successful business.  While you may get help every now and then, you have to be the one to take responsibility for working hard and be willing to learn from your mistakes and grow with your successes.

Don’t be afraid to make mistakes.  In fact, they can be positive because you can learn from them.  Not every entrepreneur is going to have instant success.  Just because an idea might fail to begin with doesn’t mean you’ll fail overall in the long-run.  In fact, it would be arrogant to assume you are immune to failure.  It’s a normal part of the learning curve.  Don’t forget that!

Don’t listen to the naysayers and don’t let them discourage you.  If you have self-confidence that you can indeed build a successful company, then go with it.  Don’t give up on yourself or give into negativity.  You have to think like the one percent.  Don’t fall in with the 99% who can’t make a go of it and give up and don’t try when things get tough.

Remember it’s okay to be naïve at times.  Don’t hoard your ideas from others because you are afraid they might steal them.  In fact, share your plans with others and listen to their feedback.  This can, in fact, be very productive and helpful in helping you achieve success and building your company stronger than ever.  If you’ve had co-workers that took credit for your ideas in the past, don’t ruminate on them.  Move past it and forget about the negativity it brought into your life.  So yeah, go ahead and be naïve at times.  Don’t be afraid to trust others when they say they are, in fact, there to help you.  Collaborate with others; don’t just think “me, me, me.”

Have a good team or support system behind you.  Often, you need to brainstorm with others to jog your creativity and to think in new and innovative ways.  If you can indeed afford to build a team around you, do so.  Respect them, prepare them and give them the tools necessary to help you succeed at building your company successfully.  Your team is only willing to do for you as much as you are willing to do for them.  Help them and they’ll help you in return.  Don’t think in terms of hierarchy.  Think in terms of teamwork.

Take care of your image.  The face your company projects to the world and greater marketplace is key.  How people view you is how they will in fact view your company as a whole.  Present yourself as a success and you will find that success follows.  Don’t try to be what you’re not to please others; be yourself.  Only you know what your ideal image is so take all the necessary steps to project it.  If you lie about who you are and what your goals are, people will see right through you.  Trust your gut on what your image should be and look like to your customers and clients alike.  This will indeed help you build your company successfully.

Be a leader and don’t forget that you are in fact, the leader, the leader of your company and the leader of the fate of your business.  You control its direction and focus.  Always remember that.  Think about the flaws of a former boss you had and try not to repeat the mistakes he or she made.  Decide who you want to be as the head of your company.  Approach things in a different way.  Create a company culture that you would in fact want to work for if you were an employee yourself and not the boss.  Your ethics reflect who you and your company are as a whole and will ultimately lead you to either succeed or fail so think long and hard about the kind of leader you want to be.

Stay organized and set goals.  Proper organization is a key factor to any company’s success.  It’s your responsibility as the leader of your business to lay out a structure that ensures long-term stability.  Your company should be able to tackle any new challenges it faces and if you stay organized and set goals, you can in fact successfully deal with those challenges.  If you do in fact have employees, make sure their goals are in line with your own.  Spend the time to teach them what your main focus is and what you are looking to achieve as you move forward and grow your business as a whole.

Communicate effectively.  As the boss, you should be able to make employees aware of any changes you are implementing or any new goals and ideas you have for building your company successfully.  Allow your employees the freedom to speak openly to you with their ideas as well.  Two-way communication is exceedingly important to success in business.

Lastly lead by example and hold close to your decisions.  Having a superior work ethic inspires those around you to have one as well.  If you give your best to your employees, they will give you their best in return.  Motivate them to succeed by your example.

While it might seem like a daunting task to actually build a successful company in today’s competitive marketplace, there’s no reason you can’t.  Take the advice I’ve given here today and implement it into your own strategy for the goals and long-term vision of your business and it is highly likely that success will follow.

So what have you learned here today?  Have these suggestions been helpful?  Have you used any of them in the past or do you feel you’ve used even better ones not mentioned to help you build a successful company?  Leave a comment and let me know your thoughts.  I’d very much like to hear them!

Here are some articles you might want to check out on how to build a successful company:

“10 Tips for a Strong Start”: http://www.entrepreneur.com/article/204982

“The Secret to Building a Successful Company”: http://www.businessinsider.com/founder-explains-the-secret-to-building-a-successful-company-2013-9

“The Two Things You Need to Build a Successful Company”: http://www.forbes.com/sites/actiontrumpseverything/2013/05/12/the-two-things-you-need-to-build-a-successful-company-a-case-study/

“Building a Successful Company in Two Steps”: https://www.openforum.com/articles/building-a-successful-company-in-two-steps/

Until next time…