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Someone much smarter than me once said “you don’t find time, you have to make it”. I find this particularly true when you are starting a new business. Many first time entrepreneurs want to hold on to a steady income paying job for as long as possible before they stand on their own two feet. Other obligations such as kids, family, pet, chores around the house take up even more of our precious time. During the start-up phase of your business you might not have more than one or two hours per day to devote to your business. Even if you try hard it might not be more than 4. So the key is not only to find time but to work smarter. Here are a few tips on finding time during your busy day: 1. Schedule working time: You are much more likely to actually take the time to work on your project if you have marked a certain time in your calender. It also allows you to plan around it. 2. Get a laptop: You want to crash on the couch after a long day of work and chores. Believe me, I’m a huge fan of the couch. With a laptop you can watch your favorite show and still get a few things accomplished such as networking on the web or answering emails from customers. 3. Get a Smart Phone: Up until about 2 weeks ago I would have never imagined myself giving this advice. That is until I got my Android phone. I can use pretty much all of the web2.0 tools anywhere in the world in just the same way as sitting in my office. Tweet while standing in line at the supermarket, answer emails while on lunch break. I am hooked on my phone - and think I can work more than 5 additional hours per week due to its help. 4. Sacrifice: Nobody said it would be easy to start a business - and effort is rewarded. During the start-up phase you can gain tremendous amounts of time by sacrificing. Skip a night at the movies (3 hours), A Dinner out (2 hours) or anything else you can skip every once in a while. Not only will it save you money, but you gain precious time to work on your future empire. 5. Enlist your spouse: Ever since my wife and I met in 2000 we have been working on our ventures together. Not only is it more fun, it also makes you more productive. We have spent time together folding laundry brainstorming ideas many times. Driving in the car, cooking etc are all great times for “business meetings” with your partner. Just make sure you have a piece of paper at the ready to take notes. In summary, making time to start your business might not always be easy but with a bit of creativity and flexible working environment you can squeeze a few extra hours of time every day. Visit my Blog at http://www.JamesGMonroe.com for more tips on how to grow your small business without going broke. For example, if you enjoyed this article - check out Entrepreneurship means Freedom to find out if you can afford to quit your job to focus solely on your small business.
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