Entrepreneurs Need To Maximise The Time They Have

August 7, 2019

Solo entrepreneurs, business owners, and freelancers know that their time is money. They can’t afford to waste it as, ultimately, it is their way to success. Unfortunately, maximising the time you’ve got is not as easy as it sounds. It’s not just a matter of working quickly. In your business position, whether a team relies on you or not, you going fast isn’t going to save the day. Indeed, when you sit at the top, you are surrounded by responsibilities. Let’s paint an honest picture of an entrepreneur’s life: your to-do list never shrinks. The first and most important question you want to ask is: how can you make the most of the time you have already

Your days are longer

The first thing you need to realise when you decide to launch a business is that you can wave goodbye to the 9 to 5 routine. As Gary Vaynerchuck, the CEO of VaynerMedia, puts it, you should “put in at least 18 hours a day” for you first year. If you want to be successful, unfortunately, you have to work hard during the first year – or a few years – of your business. As a result, maximising your time starts by freeing up more hours for your business. However, working longer hours isn’t going to be enough. You’ve got your limits. 

You can’t create more time

Now’s the moment when you need a Harry Potter wand. You need more time, but unfortunately, unless you’ve got magical powers, you can’t make up more time to get everything done. The only way to make it work for yourself is to accept that you can’t get all the time you need, even if you work overtime every day. There’s only so much more time you can create for yourself. At some point, you hit a dead end. At some point, you are trapped in a lifestyle prison. You have to learn your most important lesson as an entrepreneur; you have to create a space that gives you the time you need. In other words, you want an environment that helps you to perform. 

But you can’t commit 100% 

Unfortunately, creating space for your time dilemma doesn’t come easily. Many entrepreneurs are worried about committing to permanent solutions while they’re still in the process of launching and growing their business. Thankfully, not all solutions have to last. For instance, you can find adaptable and modular buildings – try Retracom if you’re looking for a supplier – that give you the working environment you need to perform without the financial commitment. Building the space you need starts by embracing adaptability until you find what works for you. 

Learn to prioritise tasks

You can’t deny the fact that launching a business is hard work. There’s a tonne of things to do, and it’s tricky to keep up. While you can’t magically create more time for yourself, you can, however, figure out what needs doing first. Ultimately, the secret to staying productive is to use your time to do what matters. 

It’s how you use your time today that will make tomorrow possible. As an entrepreneur, the common practice is to invest more time into building your business. However, long working days are not the golden path to success. You need to understand how to maximise the time you’ve got by prioritising your projects, choosing adaptable solutions, and making space to think and grow.

Mark Asquith

That British podcast guy, Mark is co-founder of Captivate.fm, the world's only growth-oriented podcast host. A Harvard, TEDx, Podcast Movement and Podfest speaker (amongst many more!), he's a wildly approachable Brit and Star Wars/DC Comics geek.

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