How to Manage Time With a Home Business

There are many benefits to a home business. You don't have a commute, you can set your own hours and you can wear your bunny slippers and bathrobe no matter how ragged and torn they are. But if you can't manage your time while working a nontraditional work day, you will soon feel overwhelmed.

Instructions

Difficulty: Easy

1. Establish a schedule that fits your life and stick with it. Eight hours is eight hours no matter when you work them. Don't be afraid to start in the wee hours of the morning or late at night after everyone in the house has gone to bed. The key is finding the best time that works for you so that you are more likely to stay on schedule.
2. Leave at least twenty percent of your day unscheduled. If you plan too much in one day, you will wind up feeling frustrated or overwhelmed. You have to leave time to handle any emergencies that may arise whether business or personal.
3. Delegate whenever possible. Home business owners seem to get into trouble when they try to handle everything by themselves. If you create a network of people to help you accomplish tasks, you will gain the time you need for the important aspects you need to oversee yourself.
4. Use voice mail and email whenever possible, especially if you work early in the morning or late at night when clients and vendors aren't available. Depending on the nature of your home business, the more you use email, the quicker things will progress when working schedules differ.
5. Learn to say "no." If you take on more responsibility than you can manage comfortably, not only will your work suffer, but your family life will as well.

Tips & Warnings

• When leaving voice mail messages, be sure to state a specific time when you can be reached and leave enough information so that the person calling you is prepared to discuss the issue.
• Setting goals at the end of each day for the things you want to accomplish the following day can help keep you on course.