4 Tips for Staying Motivated When You’re Self-employed

Contributed article in our small business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

When you’re in charge of your own work life, it can be difficult to stay focused. With no one to pay attention to your activities, it’s tempting to talk yourself out of doing work. In the short term, this might provide you with a pleasant break. However, in the long term, a lack of productivity will be disastrous for your personal finances and the development of your career. That is why you need to take control of the situation. It’s vital that you’re doing everything in your power to work efficiently. Luckily, there are plenty of easy steps for you to take. Below are four tips for staying motivated when you’re self-employed.

Schedule Your Day

Make sure that you have a clear plan for your day ahead. You should even try to plan your entire week in advance. This allows you to have a clear idea of everything that you need to get done. When you’re formulating your plan, it’s important that you strike the right balance between being optimistic and being realistic. You should always be pushing yourself to achieve more. However, you should avoid setting yourself unrealistic deadlines. Ideally, at the end of each day, you want to feel satisfied instead of deflated.Continue reading

Time Allocation: Creating a Formula for Your Business

Time_blog_June2015Contributed article in our entrepreneurial business series. Enjoy! – Kimberly

Running a business is a time consuming endeavor. If you don’t allocate your time well, it can quickly become difficult to manage. Entrepreneurs often work unusual hours and in unorthodox spaces. The Bureau of Labor Statistics reports that 56 percent of people who are self-employed have worked from their homes and 43 percent have worked on the weekends.

So, how can you manage all of the tasks needed to run your business? Allocate your time carefully with this formula so you can master your schedule instead of serving it.

Be the Boss: 5% of Your Time

As counterintuitive as it may be, running your company shouldn’t dominate your schedule. You need to manage employees, handle payroll and pay the bills to keep your business operational, so create a smooth and effective way of getting these tasks done.

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