Review 2009 to Improve Your 2010 Time Management

Small business owners rarely have time for reflection, but taking a moment at the end of this year can bode well for your bottom line in 2010. Before the clock strikes midnight, contemplate your business activities in 2009 to determine how you can better manage your time in the New Year.

Determine Where Time is Wasted

One good time management tip is to reflect on your typical business day. What time to you get to your business? When do you go home? And most importantly, what are typical daily management activities that waste your valuable time?

Many small business owners are fire chasers - they spend most of their day reacting to problems and putting out "fires." A client calls to complain. There's a problem in the production shop. Your office manager wants to quit.

Of course, there is necessity in resolving escalated issues, but you need to determine the times when you can put out the fires, and when you need to focus on planned business duties.

Choose People to Whom You Can Delegate

Who are the people you trust in your business? Do you have an office manager who was effective in 2009? How about a sales manager who helped increase sales? Use your trusted staff to help your own time management.

Instead of putting out those proverbial fires yourself, charge your office manager with taking care of all customer complaints or vendor issues. Reward your sales manager by making her V.P. of Sales and have her train all new sales people and help with sales planning. Your employees and staff want your business to succeed as well. Give them the honor of your trust to help your business grow, and you simultaneously help your time management in the process.

Set Time Management Goals

You have a finite amount of time in each day. Use every minute wisely. Set goals for yourself to spend certain office hours behind closed doors where you do not answer calls or emails. Set a time management goal to bring a report or other important task you can do while waiting for meetings to start. Help yourself by strategizing a daily routine where you know you can get things done at certain times.

Use Time Management Tools

Did you use a calendar planner in 2009? Take a look at it and discover what activities you wrote down and what you didn't. Your 2010 calendar should be useful to you to see what you need to do each day. Perhaps a small booklet with only months will suffice. Or perhaps you might want a daily planner where each page gives you the opportunity to jot down your planned schedule.

Don't forget the power of PDAs. Use your iPhone or other mobile device to help you track and set schedules. Your computer has powerful organization software as well. Utilize Microsoft Outlook to help you schedule meetings, goals, and tasks, and set reminders that give you notice when something is due.

There are plenty more time management tips you can use to help you set effective time management for 2010. However, by reflecting on your previous year's activities, you can better plan for the future.