Many women entrepreneurs balance work, family, community involvements and more. But summer is here and despite the uncertain times, it still means enjoying the outdoors and with day trips to the beach or weekend barbecues. Taking the time to organize and simplify your business strategy now will allow you to get things done and still have time for the summer activities you enjoy at the drop of a (sun) hat.
- Priorities deserve focus
In order to have time for your passions you have to identify what those passions are. Why did you start your business? If you wanted the freedom to travel, are you able to do so yet? If you wanted time with family and friends, are they getting quality time from you? If you started your business to make an impact are you spending more time with clients or in establishing your visibility plan? If you stated that health was a priority, then you also need to make time for regular exercise. Your priorities deserve your focus and knowing where you want to be gives you a guideline to get back to what matters most. Start by writing down the objectives of being your own boss and what you plan to do with the extra time.
- Simplify the load by automation or elimination
Consider where you are wasting time. What can you remove from your list of chores that is not working towards the big picture? In terms of business, it’s probably your social media strategy of trying to navigate five different platforms. The most successful people are only in one or two places especially as a solo entrepreneur. When your team scales to have four or five members then they can be responsible for various areas. In regards to automation, set up a template and onboard new clients or checklist for money making tasks.
- Batch similar tasks
Being busy is not the same as being productive. Now that you know the priorities that matter most and have eliminated the things that are just wasting your time.. you can also batch similar tasks together. This includes having administrative days where you take care of your accounting and other money makers like Invoicing clients, sending out contracts etc. You can also prepare all of your social media content and schedule similar tasks or themes that repeat themselves each week. If you are creating an email sequence write out all those emails and schedule them. My personal favorite for email marketing is Flodesk, so much that I became an affiliate.
- Set up a weekly routine to include expectations and space for catching up
The best way to achieve your desired outcome of a goal is to break it down into steps. Look at your monthly (or quarterly) goals to figure out your weekly tasks. Set aside time for doctor’s appointments or birthday parties separate from the weekly tasks that you will batch. Use a calendar or planner to know your biggest objectives of the week to move the needle forward in your business.
- Assess and reflect to prepare for the road ahead
Assessment brings awareness, and reflection increases understanding. Getting things done is only useful when you are getting the RIGHT things done for your business. Reflection may be the least fun part of productivity, but it helps you know if you are truly working towards your goal.
Now that you have these steps in place, you can spend the next 5 days organizing your schedule. Drop a comment letting me know how much free time you gained for all your summer passions and to spend time with your favorite people too.