You wanna know something funny? I'm a serial list maker. Setting business goals and putting them down in writing is one of the best productivity tips I can offer to new entrepreneurs.
As things have progressed with my marketing business, I've quickly noticed growing busier. There's no secret formula to becoming a successful entrepreneur, but if you learn how to be productive in business, you will become busier too. Between internet marketing, a personal life and handling new clients on a regular basis – how could you not?
If you're just starting out and are looking for productivity tips for a beginner, consider this: developing a system to keep you on track with your goals is always a good idea.
Keep in mind that not everything has to be entirely perfect to succeed. The important thing is to start somewhere and remember that learning how to be productive will help you achieve your goals, become better at what you do and ultimately, it all comes down to increasing your profits.
How NOT to be productive: working “too hard” can have the opposite effect
Unfortunately, many new entrepreneurs fail at growing their business. At any time, you can become overwhelmed with finding new clients, handling the ones you have now and dealing with other new business related issues.
If you're like most beginner entrepreneurs, you're probably working by day and chasing your dreams at night. More often than not, this leads to lack of sleep and forgoing sleep is a bad idea. Sure, you get those extra hours now, but you pay the price for it later. You destroy creativity, you get pissed, and your attitude suffers. And you can say goodbye to being more productive.
Here's what I've noticed about myself when slacking off in the sleep department:
1. I get stubborn as hell. When I'm tired, I just mow down whatever path I'm on instead of taking productive decisions;
2. Creativity disappears as soon as I'm too tired to think;
3. I become extremely irritable and have great difficulty being patient. And that's never good for business.
Pulling an all nighter every once in a while is alright, if you're aware of the consequences. Just don't make it a habit. Instead, think about how to become more productive!
How to be productive: 3 productivity tips for new entrepreneurs
The Pareto Principle tells us that 80% of your results come from only 20% of your efforts. That said, I'd like to share a potential life saver: you need to find a way to reach your goals. And the best way to remember what they are and how to achieve them is to just start making lists.
However, long lists don't get done. Long lists either collect dust or you end up blindly checking off items that weren't properly done. Then you stress out and the whole thing turns into a mess.
Instead, start making smaller to do lists! Break that long list down into a bunch of smaller lists. For example, break a single list of a hundred items into ten lists of ten items. That means, when you finish an item on a list, you've complete 10 percent of that list, instead of only 1 percent.
Looking at the smaller picture can help you find satisfaction, motivation and see your progress. That's a lot better than staring at the huge picture and being pissed off.
Finding a system to keep busy, while also being productive is important to growing any business. Here are 3 specific productivity tips that I know will work because I'm using them myself:
1. Use apps to make notes throughout the day – There are plenty note taking apps out there. You can use Evernote, Zoho or whichever one you like. The main reason I do this is because I read so much and sift through large amounts of data everyday. Having a way to categorize anything of importance, so it becomes easily searchable, is very helpful. Proper use of this skill is key to successfully learning web development, programming languages, dealing with a handful of clients and so on;
2. Set reminders on your phone for important events – I keep myself occupied, even on most Sundays, and I never miss a deadline. I attribute a lot of my success in business to juggling multiple projects and always being on time;
3. Keep a notebook to write down small tasks and goals throughout the day – Having a notebook on my desk is pretty handy. I write to-do's, brainstorm new ideas and, when the day is over, I write down tomorrow's agenda. That way I can easily pick up where I've left off;
4. NEVER stop talking to your clients – As long as your client has a business, you can always provide more value. Providing value generates money. Simply asking your clients, ” what are you struggling with most?” or “are you lacking customers, or sales?” can help you brainstorm new ideas and add to your list of goals.
Understanding someone's obstacle is one hell of a foot in the door and can often lead to more money in your pocket.
If you aren't doing any of this yet, hurry up and get busy. Today! Create a routine for yourself and stick to it before you get bitten in the ass!
Being productive isn't easy, but it helps you get your business off the ground and grow as an entrepreneur
Searching for the best productivity tips isn't going to guarantee you success in business. What will is living your passion and working your networking skills to the max!
Once you know exactly what you want to achieve, opportunities to monetize your skills will present themselves.
Remember: if you're serious about building your business, there won't be any time to play Halo or poker or binge watch your favorite TV series. No one makes millions with minimal effort unless they strike oil or win the lottery.
The passion and love for learning allows me to work the amount of hours necessary to succeed! Do the same and I guarantee you'll grow your business into a success so much sooner that you think.
