Time management is crucial for the Internet marketer, or any business person, for that matter. While there are several aspects of your business that you will be able to conduct offline, much of your work will be done while you are connected to the Internet. The temptation to surf, do research, or fool around in general is great and the savvy Internet marketer will be mindful of what they are doing online.
No Games During Working Hours
Perhaps the greatest aspect of time management is discipline. While many of us yearn to be our own bosses, sometimes we’re not prepared for the freedom we suddenly have once we take on our own business. That’s why, even though there may not be anyone looking over your shoulder, you’ll have to make sensible rules – and then follow them! To many of us, there is nothing more relaxing than an online game or surfing our favorite websites, and there’s nothing wrong with that. If that’s what you like to do, by all means, keep doing it. Just discipline yourself to do so in your off hours. It may be difficult at first, but you’ll be much more productive if your work hours are for working only. That way, you can thoroughly enjoy yourself during your off hours and you won’t feel guilty for playing. Effective time management isn’t for work only, it’s for every aspect of your life.
Networking is Important, But…
Networking is an important tool both in the offline and online business communities. However, if you’re not careful, you can spend so much time networking that you don’t have time to actually work. The solution? Just like you should schedule time for the rest of your business activities, schedule time to visit forums, network, and check on your competition. Depending on your business needs, you may need to schedule this type of online activity on a daily or a weekly basis. The important thing is to take care of this task at a time that is not taking away from the task at hand.
Managing Chat Programs
Depending on your business, you may have a variety of chat programs open so that you can communicate with clients or customers. While this can definitely be a boost to your business, it can also be a huge time waster if you’re not careful. While you certainly should let clients know when you are available to them, no one should be allowed to monopolize your time. If you need to leave chat programs open for clients to communicate with you, do so, but don’t stop to chat with every friend or acquaintance that stops to chat with you.
Take advantage of the invisible option available on most chat programs when you can. In addition to going “invisible,” you can also create a custom message or be invisible to only certain people. Then after working hours, you can be visible again if you choose. The important thing is to not let the convenience of chat and instant messaging turn into a huge time waster. Depending on the needs of your business, you may want to set aside certain hours that clients can reach you and then work certain hours where you are left on your own to attend to other tasks.
For the Internet marketer, effective time management of your offline time is just as important as managing the time you spend online. After all, except for emergencies, most people have to leave their home lives at the door when they go to the office; that is, when they work for someone else. Even though you have more discretion as your own boss, stop for a moment and think why it is that most workplaces have that rule. If they didn’t, productivity would slow and employees would get far less work done. In most businesses, employee productivity has an impact on the company’s bottom line. Your own productivity will have an impact on your bottom line as well. Be sure to make that a positive impact by leaving your home life at the door, which can be an effective time management technique.
Take Care of Household Tasks During Off Hours
Most employees that work for someone else realize that they only have a certain amount of time to do the shopping, cooking, cleaning, and other chores because they have to be back at work the following day, except for scheduled days off, of course. In the same way, when you are “off,” make sure you take care of your household responsibilities so that they don’t bleed over into your work time. This can be difficult for the Internet marketer who has to answer to no one except for him or herself. Still, practicing wise and effective time management skills off the job will mean that you can be more productive on the job.
Schedule Social Activities for Your Off Time
While most Internet marketers who act as their own bosses don’t have to stick to a rigid schedule, most have discovered that sticking to a regular schedule is more conducive to conducting business. While it’s nice to be able to have lunch with friends, try to schedule most of your social activities during your off hours. Friends who know you are at home (if you work from home) may complain, but if you are firm about your working hours, they will get the message and you’ll be able to really enjoy yourself when you are off.
When all else Fails, be Flexible
Stuff happens. It always does and it will happen to you too. You’ll lose your Internet connection at the most inopportune time, pets and kids will get sick, and yes, you will get sick too. For this reason, never, ever wait until the last minute to do work that a client is waiting for. If you do, you’ll find yourself spending the evening in the Emergency Room with a broken leg and explaining things to your client the next day.
Take Time for Yourself
You know what they say about all work and no play. While most start up businesses, both online and offline, initially take an enormous amount of time and work to get off the ground, make sure you are giving yourself plenty of time off so that you can take care of yourself and your family, relax, and rejuvenate. While there are laws keeping most employers from working employees too many hours, there is nothing to keep you from working yourself too hard. Believe it or not, a healthy balance of work and play will result in more productivity than a steady diet of nothing but work. The bottom line is that in order to take care of business, you’ll need to take care of yourself too.
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