8 Tips to Help Entrepreneurs Get It All Done

Whether you’re launching your first startup or taking your company to the next level, being an entrepreneur requires a lot of discipline. Follow these tips to help you cruise through your workdays, stay organized and reach

new heights in your small business.

01. Set Daily Themes

Jack Dorsey, CEO of Square and

founder of Twitter, attends to different

areas of his business each day of

the week. For example, on Tuesdays,

he focuses on product; on Fridays,

he directs attention to company culture and recruiting. Although you

may not have the staff that Dorsey

does, set aside a regular time each

week to focus on a specific part of your company and it will help you

create a well-rounded business.

02. Conserve Energy

Making decisions requires energy,

and unfortunately this can get

quickly depleted during the course

of the day. Since entrepreneurs are

constantly faced with decisions that

impact their businesses, minimize

less-important choices. For example,

if you know you have a big decision

to make, avoid checking your email

beforehand, as it fatigues your

decision-making muscles.

03. Be Aware of Your Strengths

Successful entrepreneurs know that they aren’t good at everything, and they choose to work with people who have complementary strengths. Some of the best partnerships in business, such as Steve Jobs and Steve Wozniak of Apple, involved people with different personalities. Even if your company is small, delegate tasks that aren’t your strong suit to an employee or freelancer who has more expertise in that area.

04. Keep Your Mornings to YourselfAccording to Dan Ariely, a Duke

University professor of psychology

and behavioral economics, people

are most productive during the first

two hours after becoming fully

awake. Don’t spend the first two

hours of your day catching up on

email or in meetings. Set aside your mornings for important tasks that need your full attention.

05. Create An Actionable List

Let your to-do list really make an

impact on your day. Instead of writing

out a one- or two-word phrase on

your to-do list, write out an actionable

phrase that includes information you

will need to complete that task. For

example, instead of “Plan for Investor

Meeting,” write “Draft Agenda for

Investor Meeting.” This precise

language will help you quickly focus on the task at hand.

06. Set Routines for Small Tasks

The way you perform tiny tasks

throughout the day can go a long

way toward helping you stay

organized and get everything done.

Have routines for small tasks such

as the way that you save files or

where you store unanswered

emails that aren’t urgent.

07. Know What’s in Your ‘Yes’ Sphere

Even though you may want to commit

to every opportunity that comes your

way, you’ll never reach your long-term

goals without some boundaries. Think

back on some recent “yes or no”

decisions you’ve made and determine

those that were worth it and those that

weren’t. Identify what is in your “yes”

sphere so that next time you’re forced

with a choice, the decision is easy.

08. Work Without the Power CordStopping work can be the most

difficult part of the day for

entrepreneurs, but it’s essential to

maximize the amount of work you’re

able to get done during the day. Set

a specific time, or a half-hour time

range, when you will end your

workday each day. If you work from

your laptop, you can also try

spending the last hour or two of

your day working without your power cord. When your laptop

dies, it’s time to stop working.

Advice Action InspirationAs an entrepreneur, strive to

create a weekly balance

between working on the minor

details of your business and

the big picture. After a while,

this will become second

nature.

Review your weekly schedule

focusing on the reminders in

this SlideShare, and delete or

delegate tasks that don’t move

your business forward.

"Great things are done by a series of small things brought together." — Vincent Van Gogh, artist

For more tips on how to bemore productive, visit the

Staples Small Business Hub.