Everyone knows that life as an entrepreneur, or the owner of a small business, isn’t easy. But you know who knows that the most? The entrepreneur or owner his or herself!
You will know just how tough things can be. Responsibilities fall on your shoulders and important decision land on your door. You may even be in charge of the hiring and firing, and therefore the livelihoods of your staff.
All of these elements are the ‘big things’. Dealing with them, and doing so properly and with great care, is important. But do you know what else is important? The far less dramatic but just as crucial day-to-day. The benefits and positive effects of making your working day easier will trickle into other areas too. If you are making your overall day easier, the bigger things will come easier too.
So, how can you make your working day easier?
First of all, take a step back and try and figure out if there is anything that is making your day harder than it needs to be. Maybe your office is far away from the person you speak with most, so you spend a lot of time walking back and forth when you needn’t. Then consider a new office layout. Maybe you print things often, but have to wait in line for your items with a number of other colleagues? Then invest in your own printer, ink and toner, and keep it in your own office. Often the things that make your life slightly harder will be very subtle. So subtle, in fact, that you’ve not yet thought to do anything about them. However, as you can see with these two examples, ease and also greater efficiency day-to-day is attainable.
Here is a nifty trick that will make your day easier; especially if a lot of your day is spent writing, receiving and waiting for emails. Download a tracker so you know when your emails have been opened. You can get some that are free of charge up to a certain amount of emails being opened. After this point, if you wish, you can pay a fee. It allows you to know if and when your email has been received. This can also give you good guidance in whether or not your email is being ignored, or has been forgotten about!
Next up, take a look at how you handle your day. Just because you’re the boss, doesn’t mean you can’t and shouldn’t take a break. It is always wise to break up your day, even in seemingly insignificant ways. This might just be walking to a local coffee house for a fresh coffee. Or it might be taking fifteen minutes to read a newspaper. This will give you a mental and physical break, and make the rest of your day easier.
Finally, a very practical point. Keep your desk tidy, clean and minimal at all times. A messy day will make things harder to find, make it harder to work and more. It also gives the impression that you are disorganized. Have a tidy up and immediately feel the benefits.
