"Time Management Tips For Your Top Home Business"

If you've determined that starting your home based small business is right for you, it's time to take a look at "time"! This is true especially if you just left the regimented routine of a JOB. The whole idea of having building a top home business is for the flexibility it brings, but there is still a ton of work to get done if you're to be successful. And if you're on your own for the first time, it might be a bit tough to stick with a strict routine for working your business. The laundry still needs to be done-clothes folded and put away. Meals still need to be made. The lawn needs mowing or the snow needs shoveling. The chores don't go away, just because you're beginning to earn extra money from home. In fact, you might even see other things around the home, inside and out, that need doing that you didn't notice before! More Tips can be found Here!



Luckily, one of the best things about building a work from home company is that you save on the commute time and can now spend it more productively. And some people find they start work much earlier than they did previously -- its easy to get that first cuppa joe and head to the office before you've even gotten out of your PJ's!

Since you're home any way, it is simple to toss a load of laundry into the machine, or get a meal going in the crock-pot - but remember, you've got to train yourself to focus as much as possible during your work day on the income-earning side of your home based small business.

Here are some time management tips that I've used successfully in the past:

List the things that must be done - this list should include EVERYTHING that is your responsibility to accomplish. It should even include the daily chores and errands, (so you know how much time needs to be alotted), along with the all important business tasks that need to be done.

Try to do this at the beginning of each month, each week and each day. I try to set my next day schedule at the end of the day so that I'm ready to go first-thing in the morning!

You've got to be able to see the WHOLE picture, as well as understanding all the tasks for which you are assigning yourself responsibility, that need to be accomplished to get you there.

If you miss assigning ALL tasks, it's too easy to get to 5:00 and remember that it was your turn to get the kids to soccer practice at 4:00!

Next prioritize the things that need to be done each day - But don't panic because, if you're like most people, there will be a lot of tasks on your to-do-list that may get accomplished that day. But you must be sure to tackle every critical action item that has an immediate effect on your work from home company.

So if you prioritize your tasks, you'll have a better chance of accomplishing those that are high priority. Any method of prioritization that works for you is good -- it could be the 1,2,3 method, or the A,B,C method, or asterisks, or stars -- what ever indicates to you that the top items are where you need to spend your time.

One thing to keep in mind is that any activity that will lead to income is called a money task - those are always top priority!

If you've got a partner either in business or at home -- its good to list both sets of tasks mfor each individual.

Review the entirety of what needs to get done to have a healthy home life as well as a top home business. Make sure that the tasks are evenly balanced and that each contributes the most in the areas that each may enjoy and are best at.

My husband and I both work from home and we are both really good at some things and not so good at others. Lucky for us what I'm not good at, my husband is. Conversely, what he's not good at, I am. So we make sure I do what I'm good at and he does what he's good at.

It's a much more efficient use of time, and it keeps the stress levels lower.

Find the things you're good at, and make sure you utilize those skills effectively.

Do the high-payoff tasks first thing in the day -- that way, you'll be sure to get them done.

Both my husband and I have learned that checking emails first thing in the morning can lead to a very unproductive few hours. Now, I scan emails first to see if any new orders have come in, or important customer or client issues that need to be addressed, then I turn it off -- to be checked right before lunch and right before the end of the day.

Learn to set boundaries around YOUR schedule -- emails are often someone else's priorities -- get your own important work done, THEN you can respond to others.

Of course, that is a general lesson, because I realize that sometimes projects might be interrelated with someone with whom you're communicating via email and your effectiveness depends on that communication. You need to be responsive to those emails. What I'm referring to are the myriad emails that are only mildly interesting and don't contribute a "whit" to the bottom line!

So pay attention to the big-ticket-items and get them done early so they don't weigh you down throughout the day.

Make sure you've allowed some break-time. It is easy to get going and never stop, but honestly, you need to re-charge your batteries daily to be the most effective.

Even if you just take a ten minute walk, get some exercise -- stretches are particularly good to get kinks out, or just relax for a few minutes a couple of times a day.

If you're able to build in some time each day you will protect yourself from at home based business burn-out!