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Running a successful small business requires many varied skills. As a small business owner, you must wear several hats and wear them all well. You need to organize yourself and avoid procrastination.
Here are 7 characteristics of a successful small business owner:
- Successful small business owners take care of themselves first.
Get regular exercise, eat healthy meals, and surround yourself with positive people. Constantly be exercising your mind by taking classes or attending personal development workshops. Read self-help and motivational books and listen to tapes. You reduce stress when you look after yourself.
Take care of yourself first and you'll have plenty of energy, always be motivated, and have more balance in your life. This, in turn, will help you be more productive and make your small business more successful.
- Successful small business owners regularly clean out clutter.
You'll save yourself lots of time, money, and energy if you organize your work and home environment (paperwork, books, old equipment, etc). You'll be able to find things, save money, and be less stressed.
Organize your office regularly and keep the clutter to a minimum. Eliminating clutter helps to avoid procrastination (the leading obstacle to success). It's too tempting to avoid getting things accomplished if you're overwhelmed with clutter.
- Successful small business owners use the best and most appropriate tools available.
It's useless having the latest state-of-the-art computer system if the desk that you sit at is too small to properly accommodate it, your chair has poor back support, or the poor lighting is causing you eyestrain and fatigue. All of these factors heavily influence how effectively you work. Invest in a decent desk and a quality desk lamp.
- Successful small business owners use a digital organizer or diary.
With so many things to organize in your small business, you must record your appointments and goals in a diary or digital organizer that you can take with you everywhere you go.
Balance is very important. Top achievers are excellent time managers, even if they have to pay someone else to do the actual organizational tasks for them.
- Successful small business owners learn when and how to say no!
To improve your productivity and do more of the things you want to do, you need to be firm with others and let them know if you cannot or will not fulfill their requests. If you always say "yes" to everyone else's requests you'll never have the time to do the things you want to do.
If you need to, attend a self-assertiveness course to learn these skills.
- Successful small business owners concentrate on what they do best and delegate all other tasks to partners or employees.
Determine which tasks you can delegate that would suit someone else's talents better than your own. Many small business owners spend lots of time on mundane clerical tasks that would take a person who is trained in that area a fraction of the time to complete.
Stress management is an essential part of running a successful small business. Reduce your stress by delegating or outsourcing tasks wherever you can.
Hire a bookkeeper, personal assistant, or part-time worker(s). Always ask yourself, who else can do this for me? Use your valuable time to concentrate on what you do the best.
- Successful small business owners hold meetings only when absolutely necessary.
Make sure the meetings you hold in your small business are relevant and efficient. Avoid procrastination by always making sure there is an outcome and all loose ends are tied up.
If you use these very simple, yet effective time management tips for small business owners, you'll have more control over your work and indeed your entire life!
About the author:
Lorraine Pirihi is a Personal Productivity Specialist and Leading Life Coach.
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