Time Management Tips – Entrepreneurs

Huge Thanks to Water Damage Restoration Dallas Texas for this punchy Guest Post. These Time Management Tips for Mom Entrepreneurs were so SPOT ON, I was going, “oh yeah”, “aha”, “mmm yes” all the way through.  

Being an entrepreneur Mom, you don’t have considerable time on your hands and have much to do. The kids have to be taken care of, someone needs to run your business, hubby would appreciate some time with you, don’t forget the chores, and not to mention you could use a little TLC for yourself. Can sleep fit in somewhere too? Stretching yourself in multiple directions can cause stress and anxiety; possibly making your day counterproductive. If only there were more hours during the day… Well, we can’t add an extra hour to the clock but there are time management tips you can use for some relief!

7 Time Management Tips For Entrepreneur Moms

Work When the Kids Are Asleep

It’s difficult to manage time when you have kids to look after. They need help getting up in the morning, going to school, getting picked up, extracurricular activities, homework, dinner and the list continues – not even including the babies and toddlers that stay home! The days can be a bit chaotic and a set-in-stone schedule is not doable. So, work when the kids are asleep! This may require you to adjust your sleep or nap time but you will be able to get more work done when they are sleeping rather than when they are busy throughout the day – saving you time in the long run.

Plan A Week Ahead

At Water Damage Restoration Dallas Texas, we know to not underestimate the value of planning everything ahead of time. During your free time, begin mapping out what needs to get done the upcoming week. It may be hard to plan an intricate hour to hour schedule but you can at least make daily goals. Make the only must follow timelines revolve around important events like appointments, taking the kids to soccer practice, picking them up from school, etc. If anything from your work – emails, shipments, meetings – need to be taken care of a certain day, plan to have them ready to go the day before. That way, you don’t have to spend the deadline day stressing about what is going to happen.

Don’t expect the schedule to exactly go according to plan but having something to reference and guide you will definitely save you some time!

Hire A Virtual Assistant

Did you ever wish you had at least two of you? Well, your dream can come true – sort of. Hiring a virtual assistant can save you loads of time! That is if you know the right tasks to delegate them. Some tasks you should assign a virtual assistant that will start opening your availability can be:

• Social media management
• Emails
• Bookkeeping
• Database entries
• Industry knowledge prep
• Online research
• Business promoting
• Marketing

You can hire a virtual assistant through an online freelance hiring site at a cheap hourly rate. Normally, you will be able to view profiles and see previous work they have done and client comments or satisfaction rates. With someone else spending a few hours a day helping you get work done, you will have more time to work, spend with the family, or catch up on the sleep you have been missing!

Recruit Family

Benefit from free work by having family help, like from your kids and significant other! If you just need to keep the little ones out of your hair, kid-proof your office to prevent a disastrous mess and dedicate part of the room to a kid-office. Set up an area where they can color and do activities. It keeps them entertained and in your sight. For the older helpers, have them do things like organizing folders, stamp letters, package items and so on. Not only can you get twice the work done but you also get to have family time together!

Work on A Nap to Nap Basis

Mompreneur hours rarely often follow a set 9-to-5 schedule. There might be appointments to go to, nap times for the kids can vary, half-days at school will come your way and the list can go on. You will drive yourself mad trying to get everything done with an inflexible time frame. You will be surprised with home much time you lose when you have to constantly fight to have it. So, work on a nap to nap basis. If you have tasks that require full concentration, do them before the family gets up or when they go to bed. Prioritize appointments and errands during traditional day time hours. For miscellaneous tasks like emails and filing, you can accomplish the wherever you see fit to do so.

Use a Timer

Sometimes, the best way to complete a task is to dedicate a window of time and block out any distractions. That’s how we do it here at Water Damage Restoration Dallas Texas. When you sit down to work, give yourself 15-20 minutes to do it. Turn of disruptions like social media and emails so your concentration does not get broken. Taking 20 minutes to finish something is more time-saving than having to spread out 10 minutes here and there when everything else is still happening.

Squeeze in Time Wherever Possible

Finally, just do what you can when you can. Instead of having to stop to read things, listen to audio books as you work, jog, or go to pick the kids up from school. Stamp envelopes during commercial breaks when you are watching your favorite show. Answer an email or two when you are waiting at an appointment. Once a week, buy takeout instead of cooking. Not only will the family appreciate it – you can make it into a weekly tradition – but the time you would have spent cooking can be used somewhere else.

Being a mompreneur demands a lot of time. You can help yourself out by effectively dividing time with time management tips. You and your family will be grateful!

This article is written by Monica, a part-time writer at waterdamagerestorationdallastexas.com. When she isn’t writing, she is preoccupied with spending time with her two sons.

Oh my goodness, I’m the Queen of squeezing in time wherever possible (might have become a bit of an addiction).  And I often fall asleep with my little one at 7 pm and get up at  3 or 4 in the morning to work. I’ve also been toying with the idea of hiring a VA for some of my article research.  Which tips are you keen to try?