"Oh, my goodness, look at the time!"

Oct 2
21:00

2004

Lynne Homewood

Lynne Homewood

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You'd think with all the ... gadgets you have nowadays you would have so much free time you'd be bored to tears! But it's ... NOT so! Time, for ... is at a premium. Even my childr

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You'd think with all the time-saving gadgets you have nowadays you would have so much free time you'd be bored to tears! But it's definitely NOT so!
Time,"Oh, my goodness, look at the time!" Articles for everyone, is at a premium. Even my children can't believe how fast time flies by - when I was young,
we seemed to have FOREVER!

The lack of time is one of the main problems plaguing sincere people who want to start their own business.
However, to start ANY business, even with the help of the Internet and its resources, you DO need TIME. Three ways to squeeze more time out of your day are to prioritize, organize, and authorize.

Prioritize

You MUST make your business a priority in your life or you'll never even get started. Your business should
come BEFORE hobbies, recreation, T.V. -basically anything that you'd have to put after a regular job. You may have
other things in your life that are needlessly taking up your time.

Sit down and THINK about your daily schedule: how much time do you spend on things that really don't warrant the amount of time you're spending on them? You may find it helpful to keep a diary, for a week or so, of how you're spending each moment of your day. You may actually find you are WASTING precious time "shooting the
breeze" with a co-worker, for example. When time is as important as it is for a budding entrepreneur, NO time
can afford to be wasted. Sometimes better organization is the key.

Organize

In order to maximize the use of your time you MUST be organized. You may find that creating a schedule in
a day-timer is one way to keep track of your activities and keep you on time. The trick, of course, is to actually STICK TO your schedule once it's made!

Try to organize your way of dealing with things so you don't end up doing the same thing more than once. For
example, when you receive an email, act on it, file it, or delete it. Don't just read it and decide to come back later. Don't check your email box every couple of hours: once in the morning and again in the evening is enough for most people. ANYTHING you do repetitively during your day
can end up being a time waster if you're not careful.

Be prepared to take advantage of any EXTRA time that may fall in your lap! Do you spend a lot of time commuting to
your job, or perhaps waiting for people/things during your day? If you have something related to your business with you, for example something you were planning to read or write, then you can take advantage of these times to get ahead in your
own business. If you work on a computer, perhaps you could spend these 'down' times, or even just your breaks, doing advertising or research online.

Authorize

SO many people would have more time if they'd just DELEGATE! You don't have to do everything yourself - at home or in your business.

If you find yourself bogged-down by household tasks, enlist your children or spouse to help: it'll be good for them, and when your business takes off, they'll benefit from that as well!

Make your business a 'family affair'! Older children may even be able to help you with advertising, posting ads online or perhaps delivering flyers or posting advertising on message
boards in your community.

Take advantage of resources online to help you. There is nothing wrong with cutting a few corners (and HOURS) off your business start-up and expansion by getting help. There are people
whose business it is to help you succeed, so USE them!

With a little commitment, planning and foresight, you CAN find the time to start your own home business. And, believe me, it'll be worth it!

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