Although entrepreneurs say they want more time each day, what they really want is to be able to get more done with the time they have. Here are 5 suggestions you can implement immediately to get more done in a new section we’re calling “Five on Friday”:

1. Create an accountability calendar. Just like the success dieters enjoy from tracking their food intake, entrepreneurs enjoy greater productivity by journaling their accomplishments. Plus, tracking how you spend your time can be a huge wakeup call to unproductive and wasteful activities. Here’s an example of my accountability calendar yesterday morning (I’m a work in progress):

               7:00 – 7:15 am social media posts

               7:15 – 7:45 am meeting prep

               7:45 – 8:00 am download email

               8:00 – 9:00 am networking

               9:00 – 10:15 am marketing calls etc etc etc

You get the point. Be sure to take notice of the priorities tied in with short and long term goals.

2. Prioritize your day. Productive days don’t magically happen. They are a result of intentionally planning and prioritizing. How you spend the first 15 minutes of each day sets the tone for a productive or non-productive day. Establish your priorities before downloading your email. You’ll be surprised at how much more productive each day will be.

3. Say “no” or “not now” more often. When you say “no” or “not now”, you simultaneously say ‘yes’ to greater productivity and achievement.

4. Eliminate information that doesn’t concern you. News stories, social media conversations, and general websites may be appealing yet if they contain information you can’t use to achieve your goals, its much better to abolish them from your consumption. Email is the biggest offender of unnecessary information in the form of advertisements, email newsletters, and story or joke sharing. Unsubscribe, automate, and set up filters to control the flow of information coming to you via email.

5. Manage your goals. Those who get things done and get ahead in life learn to be good goal managers. Goal management focuses on planning and prioritizing the day’s activities around your goals…not your time.

What are your top 5 tips for getting more done?

You won’t want to miss an episode of “Five on Friday” when we share down and dirty techniques that you can implement immediately to grow your business. Next week, I’ll be sharing the Five Steps to Goal Management. It’s a real nail biter.

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Entrepreneurship is not for the faint of heart. It requires taking calculated risks, learning to live with uncertainty, and hard work, just to mention a few aspects of small business ownership. Yet, over 550,000 businesses are created every month in the US alone. Why the explosive growth? Despite the many challenges of entrepreneurships, the quest for freedom, flexibility, and “being the boss” is more compelling.

Of all the challenges entrepreneurs face, the most difficult is “performing multiple roles within the organization” according to a new survey conducted by eVoice®. For any entrepreneur who is currently reading this blog, responding to emails, preparing for the next day, servicing customers, and invoicing clients, this comes as no surprise.  In fact, evoice® national customer survey showed that 44% of respondents wear five or more hats at any given time in their business.

How do you juggle it all so gracefully – or maybe not so gracefully? Here are a few business ideas to consider:

• Group ‘like activities’ together. You’ll have more energy – and avoid suffering decision fatigue – when you cluster similar activities.
• Delegate when possible. Entrepreneurs are unspoken control freaks and can learn to delegate with confidence by setting up parameters for feedback.
• Eliminate unnecessary activities/roles.  Don’t follow the crowd. Base your actions and responsibility on your company’s strategic plan and vision rather than on what you read in the recent best selling business book.
• Develop your systems. Well-developed systems eliminates redundancy and frees you up to focus on goal-achievement activities.
• Calendar your goals. Managing your goals, rather than your time, reorganizing your priorities and centers you on critical activities to grow your business.

Undoubtedly, there is much to do in a day to keep the business running smoothly and becoming a proficient juggler. Tell us what you think! If you had one less role to juggle, what would you do? Post your thoughts below!