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E-Myth – “Why most small businesses don’t work & what to do about it”

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Edmonton Business Coach | Getting the Most Out of Your Day

Entrepreneurs are possibly some of the busiest people in the world says Edmonton business coach. But are the hours they are spending at work as efficient as they could be? Without using time blocks, people spending their time as efficiently as possible is the question to answer. Society praises busy people, as though busyness is a virtue. That being busy for the sake of being busy is pointless. If an entrepreneur is not accomplishing their strategic goals to grow their business, they are not spending their time well. A great tool to help business owners as well as anyone spend their time as efficiently as possible is time blocks.

To understand how to effectively use time blocks you must understand first what a time block is. Time block is when a person sets aside a specific time in the future that is dedicated to a specific task. Dedicating future blocks of time, and locking them into a schedule makes it more likely that tasks that are blocked will be worked on. It takes some dedication and discipline to stick to a schedule like this but after a period of time learning how effective they can be and managing time, most people will stick with it.

In order to make efficient use of time understanding the length of time required for each time block is very important says Edmonton business coach. Having too short of the time block means a higher probability of switching tasks without finishing them unnecessarily. When you start a brand-new task, it takes about 23 minutes for your brain to reach peak capacity. Each time you either switch to a new task, or get interrupted it takes your brain and other 23 minutes to get back to capacity. A general rule of thumb is figuring out about how much time each task needs and blocking your time accordingly. Usually time blocks no less than two hours are the most efficient. If you have extra time at the end of the time block you can always use that time to deal with urgent matters that have popped up during the day.

This brings up the topic if a person should schedule extra time during the day for unforeseen events that do pop up during the day. This is a great method to use, because if there is no time block dedicated for matters that crop up during the day says Edmonton business coach it’s easy to get behind in the schedule because as those items get dealt with, is cutting into the time dedicated to other topics. Either scheduling time blocks specifically for unforeseen events, or scheduling time block slightly longer than you expect them to take, and using the additional time at the end of time block to deal with the unforeseen events.

By mastering time blocking in a day business owners will be able to get more accomplished and grow their business rather than just working hard.

Edmonton business coach | getting the most out of your day

Everyone has 24 hours in their day, says Edmonton business coach but being busy for the sake of being busy is not efficient. If business owners are not accomplishing their strategic goals throughout the day they are putting a ton of work in but not growing their business. Learning how to be more efficient takes time the tool that can help with that is time blocking. The business owner can use time blocking effectively in their business they will be able to work hard and get far more accomplished than they were before.

Many business owners think that email is the most important objective in their day, this isn’t true because as quickly as email can be answered or emails can come in. Business owners can get staff to learn how to deal with email, and business owners can always set a time block aside for answering important emails that come in. The most important objectives business owners should have is their strategic goals. Strategic goals are with business owners grow their business and should be the top priority says Edmonton business coach.

Through time blocking business owners can address all of the important things that they may not get time during the day to do otherwise. Some important time blocks include marketing initiatives, administrative duties, a staff recruiting and training. Business owners mistakenly believe that they can either fit in these tasks during their free time, or they underestimate the amount of time that it does take in their day. Most business owners after working very hard to the business don’t go home thinking that they will be working on administrative duties instead of spending time with their family. Instead using time blocks to ensure that these tasks get done during the workday will increase the chances that these tasks do not get forgotten.

Having a schedule helps business owners coordinate with their team because being available during predictable blocks of time gives your staff reassurance that you will always be available to them for them to answer any questions they have, on how to address a certain problem. It also lets them know that the business owner will be regularly checking in with them, and they will naturally hold their questions until they see the owner, rather than interrupt them while they are working on important tasks. Regular check ins with staff also lets them know that there will be regularly scheduled training and coaching to help them grow. Staff that is regularly trained make less mistakes, says Edmonton business coach and fewer mistakes increases customer satisfaction, as well as saves time.

Start today by setting aside time blocks in a calendar. Make adjustments to the schedule as needed, ensuring not to forget important tasks like marketing, administration and training. By becoming more efficient business leaders, entrepreneurs can ensure that their hard work continues to grow and expand their business now and in the future.