4 Time Management Tips Every Entrepreneur Should Follow

Time is one of the most precious resources for entrepreneurs. As an entrepreneur in today’s times, you need to be quick on your feet and effectively use your time. An entrepreneur has to juggle all those urgent tasks, different projects, and responsibilities to make the most out of the day and push the business forward.

In this blog, we’ll learn 4 actionable and effective strategies to help entrepreneurs make the best of their time, to reach their full potential.

1. Practice SMART Goal Setting:

As famously heard “A goal without a plan is just a wish.” So, if you wish to gain the best productivity you need to plan and apply the SMART goals strategy effectively.

Specific –  Outline what you want to achieve.

Measurable – Fix tangible criteria to track progress.

Achievable – Set goals that are realistic and align with your capabilities.

Relevant – Ensure that the goal is in line with your broader business objectives.

Time-bound –  Define specific deadlines for completing your goals.

2. Try the 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)

The Pareto Principle states that 80% of your results stem from 20% of your efforts. 

So study your daily tasks and figure out that 20% that brings 80% of your business results. By focusing on these high-impact activities you can optimize your time and efforts. Let’s say for example, that networking events contribute significantly to securing a majority of your clients and collaborations, then allocate more time and focus to those activities rather than wasting time on low-impact tasks.

3. Schedule the Most Important Tasks First.

“The key is not to prioritize what’s on your schedule but to schedule your priorities” 

Rightly quoted by Stephen Covey, as entrepreneurs, your focus and time are extremely valuable and you cannot just spend your whole time doing any task that pops into your mind. You can apply the Eisenhower Matrix for prioritizing the most important tasks by dividing them into 4 boxes

• Important and urgent: Focus on completing these tasks first in your schedule.
• Important not urgent: Schedule these tasks and set a time to get them done right after the important and urgent tasks are dealt with.
• Not important but Urgent: Save time and delegate these tasks to your employees as per their expertise and skills.
• Not important and not Urgent: Delete them from your list as these are dead-weight tasks slowing you down.

4. Delegate and Co-operate:

Know and accept that you can’t do everything on your own. Your leadership truly shines when you know, when and how to delegate the right tasks to the right person in your team. When you practice delegation and cooperation with your team, you’re not only reducing your workload but also giving yourself more time to focus your energy on the task that needs your attention the most. Collaborating with your team, allows you to tap into the expertise and resources of others, making tasks quicker. The key for entrepreneurs to effectively get more work done in less time is to boost teamwork and delegate tasks to the right people.

By practicing these 4 actionable time management strategies entrepreneurs can improve their control over their time and increase their productivity to new levels. However, it is important to know that time management is a continuous process and will require practice, practice, and practice till you become better at managing your time effectively, boosting your entrepreneurial success!

At InZone, we are dedicated to fulfilling your entrepreneurial dreams and visions. For those wanting to turn their business dreams into reality, InZone is the perfect place to get your guidance from!