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Time Robbers
Twenty-four hours in a day never seems to be enough! There's always too much to do! As an entrepreneur, you want to grow and develop your business and be able to effectively use your time to get the most out of your day. The reality is, there will never be enough time to get everything done. But, there are some ways to make your life easier and your time more productive. Have you ever noticed that there are certain things that sneak into your day to steal your valuable time? These are what I refer to as 'Time Robbers'. They are the minor irritants that when taken alone don't seem to be a big deal but when added up can really take time away from what you should and want to do.
There are many 'Time Robbers', but let's consider just these three:
The Telephone
The telephone can be your best friend or your worst enemy. You need it to stay in touch with your customers and your suppliers, but you don't have control over who phones you or why. Sometimes a friend, family member, or collegue calls just to chat or to talk about matters unrelated to your business. It's not always a productive way to spend your time. Here are some tips for making the best use of your telephone:
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Use call display to screen your calls.
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Use your answereing machine or voice mail. Try to leave a memorable message, so clients will be intrigued.
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Set aside a specific time on your schedule to return phone calls.
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Keep a minute timer by the phone to set at the start of your call. This will help you to be brief.
Emails
The internet has provided the travel entrepreneur with fast access to information and email has become a necessary communication tool. However, on the downside, you can also be innundated with an abundance of emails from a wide variety of sources. Sorting through all the messages does not necessarily result in productivity and is time consuming. Try these tips to help you on your journey through cyberspace:
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Set aside a specific time on your daily schedule to handle your email. Read them and categorize them as: to do, to read, to file, and to delete.
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Set up templates for standard email responses. For example: destination specific inquiries - have all the details about a destination (Hawaii) in the body of the email template and then personalize by inserting the customer names and pertinent details.
Distractions and Interruptions
When you work from home, you have a lot of distractions and interruptions. The doorbell might ring, your children or pet may vie for your attention. You are tempted to put on a load of laundry or finish up the dishes. Your spouse asks you to run an errand or friends and family members ask you to do something during the day that they wouldn't dream of asking an employed person. Here's how to limit, and overcome, distractions and interruptions:
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Set up your physical environment so that you have a separate office space for yourself. If you share a computer with the family, invest in another that is just for work.
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Set boundries - explain rules regarding your worktime to family and friends and be firm.
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Plan to do home chores at specific time outside your business hours. If you aren't busy with a client, spend that time finding new clients, not doing dishes. You will be much more likely to protect your downtime if you are productive during your working hours.
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