To be honest, it can be very difficult to stay on track when running one’s own business.  Matt and I were discussing this just the other day during one of our infamous walks.

We have some friends who have recently decided to leave their jobs to start their own business.  They are a couple of months into this new business venture and have just recently shared with us how hard it is to get anything strategic done on the business between taking the kids to soccer practice, remodeling the bathroom, and getting the car worked on–not to mention the day to day business needs such as servicing clients and paying bills.

So what is it that takes a highly productive employee to a struggling entrepreneur?  Where is the disconnect in productivity levels?

It could be that in a job there is normally a much defined job description with a clear outline of what is expected.  In addition, when working in a job, an employee is not usually responsible for both strategy and day to day customer maintenance.  Also, there is the accountability of knowing that your boss or manager will be asking for results.

However, when working for oneself it is easy to get just enough done to get by…thus ignoring the strategy or business building pieces.  It is also a lot easier to let things slip as you have no one holding you accountable.  This is especially true if you have a home office as it is very easy to allow household tasks to consume your work day.

Here are a few tips to help keep you on track.

-It is vitally important to find other entrepreneurs with similar goals to help hold you accountable.  Some call this a power circle.  But regardless of what you call it, you need to have someone who understands what you are working towards to hold you accountable to reaching your goals.

-If working from a home office, set a schedule and stick to it.  Force yourself to get up at the same time each morning.  Take a shower and get dressed rather than just walking down the hall to your office in your Sunday sweats.  This may not seem important, but if you want to motivate yourself to work you must dress the part.  Believe it or not, your attitude is affected by what you wear.  (If you don’t believe me, think about how you feel when you wear your favorite outfit…I rest my case.)  Sunday sweats may be incredibly comfortable, but your mind associates relaxation with them, not productivity.

-Write out a job description for every job you find yourself doing in your business.  Include the tasks that you are responsible for when acting in that job title.  Then, allot time slots for when you fulfill that job.  For example, if 9am is always your Marketing Director job time, then line up a slew of marketing projects for that time and work through them.  If 11am is Customer Service Manager time then take off your Marketing Director hat and switch gears to handle any customer situations.  Compartmentalizing your day will help you give attention to each area of your business and not ignore vital areas.

-Examine your work environment.  How conducive is it to productive and efficient work?  Is it cluttered, thus causing you to spend more time looking for items than actually working?  Is it uncomfortable, causing you to want to spend more time on the couch than in your actual office?  Or maybe it is too comfortable and you find yourself falling asleep.  Are there a lot of distractions like a television, traffic noise, or constant interruptions from employees, children, or pets?  If you said yes to any of these questions, consider revamping your office space to make it easier to be productive.

Implementing just one of these tips will increase your productivity, but implementing all of them will cause a dramatic change in the way you work.  Be careful, productivity can be addicting!

Till next time,

Sarah