Managing time is an art in itself. Everyone is busy today with so much to do!
As an entrepreneur, when you are your own boss with lots to do and only 24 hours to do it in,
managing time can become a daunting task, since you have to pay attention to everything—
right from planning, networking,  budgeting,
meeting people, spending time with your family and what have you!

Since you cannot stretch the hours, the answer is to manage time wisely, smartly and efficiently. Here are a few tips for managing time effectively for entrepreneurs like you…

Adopting Technology

Time is gold. Since we do not have more than 24 hours in a day, it depends on us how we make sure that each minute is spent well. This is where technology makes things easy. Some of today’s great technological tools with smart applications can save you a lot of time. For instance, technology makes time management so much easier for business owners with such applications as digital calendars and appointment reminders, among others. Besides, keeping tabs on the time you spend on various tasks has become so much easier with a host of great apps created particularly for that purpose. The free task management software for personal use and small teams seamless integrates productivity analysis, invoicing and budgeting features.

Start Your Day Early

Starting early may seem intimidating if you are not a morning person, but it gives you plenty of time to plan your day. Some of the world’s most successful people, such as Tim Cook to Indra Nooyi, say that waking up early is the key to their success. Getting up at dawn, exercising and having some moments of quiet before a wholesome breakfast basically means that, by the time you begin your day’s work, you are energized and set to optimize your time.

Schedule &Prioritize

We all know that entrepreneurs must effectively schedule their important tasks and prioritize them. Working through a to-do list in chronological order can be one way of accomplishing them, but it may not be the best way to fully utilize your time. So, you can consider scheduling the tasks according to their urgency and importance. The Eisenhower Principle, a system created by former US President Eisenhower, can help you organize your workload that has an easy 2×2 matrix with fields depicting ‘Important/Not Important’ and ‘Urgent/Not Urgent’. The basis is that the Urgent/Important tasks take topmost priority, while you can either schedule, delegate—or disregard—the other ones and know you are spending your valuable time on what really matters.

Delegate Your Work

As an entrepreneur, you cannot spend all your time doing the same tasks over and over again. You have to find as much time as you can to nurture and grow your company. So, delegate work as much as possible!

Focus on Task at Hand

By now, we all know that multi-tasking is out. We may think that we can do more by handling multiple jobs at a time, but the fact is that it hampers both productivity and takes up a lot of time. So, the best way to get more work done is to focus on one job at a time. This way, you can do a job faster. And, once it is done, you can shift to your next job easily. Undivided attention on one task boosts efficiency and also productivity. So, entrepreneurs must have the skill to manage time efficiently. But better time management is about managing time more efficiently, at the same time managing it smartly to be able to accomplish more.

Taking Short Breaks

Also keep in mind that taking care of yourself is a vital aspect of your business. So, remember to add short breaks to your daily schedule throughout the day to recharge yourself. Take walks, exercise, or do anything that helps you relax. Breaks help you enhance productivity and focus.

Eliminating Distractions

As an entrepreneur, your time becomes more valuable. As the owner of your business, your work will demand time to pick up pace and volume. You have to set clear boundaries for yourself and others, which is important for maintaining optimum performance with the time you have. You can set time limits for such routine tasks as writing e-mail and social media posts, so that your day is not dominated by petty distractions.