Time Management Tips for Small Business Owners


Small business owners will always find themselves strapped for time because the primary responsibility for the success of that business is on their shoulders. Successful business owners understand that if they want to stay on top of things and keep their business running smoothly, then proper time management is essential.

Whether you have an established business or are just starting out with your company, you will find yourself extremely busy most of the time. If you want to grow your business and get things done, the time management tips below should help you to stay ahead of potential problems.

Tip One: Set Priorities

Try to identify those things that will benefit your business the most and enable maximum profitability. Once you have identified the tasks that need to be done, make them a priority and complete them before anything else. Often, not managing to efficiently organize just a few of the everyday tasks that matter the most can make the difference between a successful business and one that is floundering. Concentrate on the important things.

Tip Two: Perfection Isn’t Always Possible

You can spend a lot of time trying to get something exactly right and in the process waste that time. Often it is more important to just to get something done, don’t waste time aiming for perfection.

Tip Three: Delegate

Many small business owners think that they have to take on all of the major tasks and responsibilities themselves but that is not the case. If you have reliable staff members and a full calendar then delegate some of those tasks. You don’t have to do everything yourself but it is important that you choose reliable and responsible employees who are suited to the task in hand.

Tip Four: Take Regular Breaks

Tests show that the human brain can only concentrate on something for so long at a time. You do need to recharge your batteries during the day. Don’t skip lunch, give yourself a break and your time will be better spent in the afternoon.


Tip Five: Creating Systems

In most businesses there are tasks that have to be done every day and are easier to manage once you have recognized systems and processes in place. Schedule time for team meetings where you can work on streamlining your business processes. Make sure that you have a settled process for following up on new clients and staying in touch with old ones.

Tip Six: Outsourcing

Small organizations will not have the same kind of skills base as larger ones. Some tasks only need to be done every now and then. Identify those tasks and if they require special skills, try outsourcing them. If you are expanding your business and need new employees, outsource the preliminary stages of finding the right kind of people. There are agencies and freelancers that will deal with CVs and letters of application and screen applicants according to your criteria.

Tip Seven: Stay Ahead of the Mail

Make sure that incoming snail mail is handled straight away by a particular member of your organization. When it comes to your emails, stay on top of things by scheduling time in the morning and again after lunch to process. Reply to emails sent and send your own communications. Keeping this down to twice a day reduces the time that you need to spend online.

Amy Elliott is a writer with a passion for providing tips and advice for small businesses. She writes for Name Badges International, suppliers of various types of name badges to businesses around the world. You can find more small business advice at their blog.

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7 Comments

  1. Thank you so much for great post.I think every small business owner must read this for increasing their online presence & growing their business.

  2. Great post! Thank you! Automating your business process is also a very good way to save time and money across your business operations.

  3. Amy these are great tips and should be drummed into the minds of small business owners- i particularly think delegation is important and i couldn’t agree more- perfection isn’t always possible, getting the job done is all that should matter. The more that business owners take such points on board, the less chance they have of doing damage

  4. Time management and prioritization both go hand in hand. You can manage your time effectively only when you know what is supposed to be done when. The point is to take up a hard or time-consuming task, accomplish it, and focus on other things.

  5. I’m sure many small business owners would like to have a successful web marketing campaign, but they may not know how. I like what you said about researching your keywords and determining which ones bring in the most traffic. Finding a company that can handle or assist with such issues appears to be a major benefit to business owners.I would like to know about The Harmonious Academy that assigns expert business strategies that are fit for any fledgling businesses ready to achieve their long-term goals in a small amount of time. Their small business management training and small business advice help companies thrive and flourish

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