10 Tips for Finding Time to Run a Business

Are you worried that you won’t be able to find time to start a new business? Starting a new small business takes a lot of time and effort. It is definitely worth it, but finding the time to dedicate to your new business could be the deciding factor in being able to be successful in your business. You are definitely not going to get your business up and running if you are not treating it as a legitimate business. The time you dedicate to your business will determine how quickly it grows. This isn’t a race though, you determine your schedule and the rate of growth.

You aren’t alone if you are starting a business while you are still working a full time job, have a family to take care of, or just are not really sure where you find the extra time you need to work on your business. This can be tricky, and you’re going to do a deep dive into your “why” in order to put this project on the front burner and make it work. Can you really be successful starting a business of your own if you are already strapped for time? Of course you can, others do it all the time, so why not you?

One of the great things about running your own business is having the freedom to choose your own hours. Being able to schedule around your other obligations means that you can do something that you love, make money, and have a life at the same time. It takes some practice, but you can do it. Where are you going to find that extra time? Here are a few of my suggestions.

How to find extra time in your schedule:

1. Get up early. I know you are, but I mean even earlier. Having even 1 hour to yourself before your day begins can make a huge difference in your day. If you don’t work on your business during that time, do some of your other daily chores during that time that will free up an hour later in the day. This could add up to 7 hours a week to your business.
2. Work during your lunch hour. This could add 5 hours each week to your business.
3. Do you commute? If so, this is a great time to listen to a business related podcast or book. This is a good time for planning also.
4. Are you a stay at home mom? Try to use naptime to work on your business. Alright, I know that being at home takes special time management skills, but I know you can do it. You’re growing your own future, I have faith in you.
5. Try a home management system so that you can get your household chores condensed into set times. If you can save yourself a few hours of housework each week, that can be put into your business.
6. Make two dinners when you cook for the next two weeks, and put one in the freezer. Being able to take a dinner out of the freezer in the morning and warm it up for dinner can buy you an hour to work on business that day, and it takes slightly more time when you’re cooking. If you do this for two weeks then use the meals for the next two, you could save yourself up to 14 hours in a month.
7. Order your groceries online. I can do a full grocery order for my family in 20 minutes, then I schedule a pick up time that is when I’ll be driving that direction anyway. This saves me money from impulse purchases, but it also saves me 1.5 hours of shopping weekly.
8. Do you sit in the car and wait for your kids to come out of school? Or sit in the bleachers while they are at practice? Take your laptop and notebook and work on business during this time.
9. Do a time audit. Keep track of how you spend your time for the next 7 days. I would almost guarantee you are wasting time that you could be dedicating to your business. That being said, you shouldn’t be scheduled so tight that you lose your sanity. You’re starting a new business so that you can enhance your life, not destroy it. So keep that in mind as you schedule your week, but do take advantage of time found.
10. Use a planner. Period. You will never find the extra time you need to start a new business unless you dedicate the time to it, so schedule it in as an appointment and treat it as you would an appointment with the dentist.

As you get your business up and running, you will be able to free up more time to work on it. Having more income means you can hire out some of the other things you do that take a lot of your time, like house cleaning. Or hiring a virtual assistant to handle all of the small details that you are going to handle on your own in the beginning. You’re going to feel strapped for extra time for this season, but it’s only temporary. You’ll be glad you put the extra time needed in the long run, it will be so worth it when you’re commanding your own kingdom in the near future.