A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained

“Do not wait; the time will never be just right.”

Napolean Hill (1883-1970) US motivational author 

To find previous Quotes of the Day look here 

A small business quote a day keeps you thinking, inspired and entertained

“Worthwhile success is impossible in a forty hour week”  

Clarence Birdseye (1886-1956) US businessman & founder of Birdseye 

Earlier in the week I wrote a piece on the 10 minute power meeting and on the 10 second marketing speech. The issue here is clearly getting things done in as little time possible.

Time management is the current buzz-word for small and micro business. No matter what kind of small business and start-up business, like SOHO-, SME, SMB-, Micro-, Lifestyle-, Home-, DIY-, Hobby-, Boomer- or Personal business, like professional, contractors, freelancer, self-employed, sole-trader and virtual assistants you run, time is a finite resource for all of us, and we need to learn to use our time as best we can.

You would be forgiven to believe, that time management is only the obsession of managers, but is that really the case? I believe time management to be an integral part of your work-life balance strategy. If you get your work done more efficiently it will help the overall business efficiency, but at the same time get you out of your office sooner, allowing you to enjoy the better things of life.

Efficiency is also a bootstrapper trait, getting things done reduces overheads and other costs, you will see the results in your monthly planning exercise, your income will increase while your costs don’t change.

Here are some basic rules on time management - or cutting to the chase - as I would call it:

• Tell people how you want them to work with you, or how to use your time;
• Return the favor, treat their time as you want your time treated;
• No meetings without agenda;
• No long documents without a short summery;
• Make sure you know what is expected of you;
• Ask - don’t wait for offers, go and get what you need to do your task.

I’ll be writing more one this later, but I guess you get what I’m getting at. Like so often it is just the case of “taking some time” to come up with more specific ways to save time during your work day.

“Taking time” to increase your time management efficiency is not “wasted time”! ST.

When you have internal meetings try to keep them short. I often see meeting in small organisations that linger on and on, often even about non - business issues. Large corporations have often the shortest meetings at director level, while lower down in the organisation the meetings go on and on, too. Don’t waste your valuable 9 to 5 business time like that.

Look at you calendar and write next to each meeting how long it should take and stick too it.

While it is important to socialize, you have to make sure your tasks get done on time, so calling a meeting for ten minutes to just discuss the issue at hand will instill a sense of urgency and focus into the participants of the meeting. If you allow the meeting to drag on, by the time it’s over nobody remembers what the meeting was about.

Let me say it with the words of the British chairman of Josiah Wedgwood & Sons Ltd. Arthur Bryan, who had this advice for any small business:

The key is not to spend time, but using it.

Remember this is a rule for internal meetings, for meetings with customers this rule does not apply - within reason of cause. The customer should determine the length of the meeting. Suppliers will probably thank you for short meetings, so they too can get more done.

Meet with coworkers after work for bowling or golf, that will build your team spirit and give your team the social time needed. ST.

When ever I meet new business people I’m curious to find out what they are doing, what is their business all about, so I ask. But too often I walk away and I’m still wondering what it is my new contact does, that is not good.

So here is something I think you should do, get a piece of paper - or even better use my comment form below - and create a little 10 - 15 second marketing and PR speech for your small business products and service. Here is what I tell people who ask - and some who don’t ask actually:

WinWeb provides an on-demand online small business infrastructure, including an OnlineOffice and LiveNet, a social networking community and online marketplace for small business and business startups in the US, Europe and Australia.

Every meeting is a opportunity for you and your business, so don not let it pass. Rehearse you speech until you can say it in your dreams, it will also help you to focus on your core business better. Your new contact can then work out if there is anything interesting for him/her in your portfolio. They may also remember you in month and years from now - so 10 to 15 seconds well spent.

So what do you tell others about your business, your products and services? Tell us about it, in a comment. ST.