Being your own boss comes with many perks but there are also obvious disadvantages, like juggling a lot of responsibilities and having endless to-do lists. It comes as no surprise, activities that are not seen as urgent, often get pushed to the bottom of these lists. But successful entrepreneurs believe it’s not only beneficial but even essential for your business to set aside time for things we tend to ignore.
Bettering your skills
Self-employed professionals are self-taught in many areas of their business. You might be an outstanding artist but you only know as much (or as little) accounting as is needed to submit your tax report in time. You might be a marketing sensei but struggle with face-to-face communication (here are, by the way, seven helpful tips for entrepreneurs on how to improve their communication skills). The point is, no matter how long you’ve been doing it on your own and how good you are, there is always room for growth and improvement.
Successful entrepreneurs suggest mapping out 3 skills you’re keen to learn more about each season and sign up for one workshop or online course per month. It shouldn’t necessarily be a long, full-on course with lessons and assignments. If this month’s area of improvement is learning to write more efficient emails, for example, just an informative 20-minute YouTube video would be enough!
Here are amazing and informative websites with quality online courses that will be helpful.
Speaking to your mentors
We all need someone in our corner. Especially if this someone is a person you look up to. Make sure you talk to an inspiring person in your industry once a month. It can be your literal mentor, someone who has followed your journey from the start and can give good advice and provide some much needed guidance. It can be an author of a niche book you’ve read recently and found helpful. It can be someone on social media, whose content you really enjoy seeing and find empowering and motivating. It doesn’t matter whether you talk to this person regularly or it’s going to be your only conversation ever – the only thing that matters is chatting to someone in the industry but outside your daily circle, whom you can learn from.
Checking in with the tech side of your business
As entrepreneurs, we tend to focus on the actual tasks at hand and neglect things that surround our business but are not actually our business. Once a month, set aside time to double-check whether your website has any broken links that no longer lead anywhere or still features your old delivery address you’re not using any more (it happens to the best of us); log into your bank app and scroll through recent transactions to make sure you have all your subscriptions and automated payments under control and are not losing money; confirm that your work phone numbers and emails are working properly, etc. Overall, just make sure that everything that helps your business run smoothly, does indeed run smoothly!
Doing something outside your comfort zone
Just one thing. One little thing. It can be your first Instagram live. It can be a day of cold-calling. It can be introducing yourself and your business to strangers at a local event. We all have those important but quite stressful things that can help us succeed but are also so far outside our comfort zone, we never actually get to do them. Well, here is the good news – you don’t have to do all of them at once! Create a list of challenging activities you wish you were doing for your business but are actually not and commit to doing one of them per month. That will not only move your business forward but will also help you feel more confident.
For better results, share your ‘out of comfort zone activity of the month’ with your friend or colleague – if they can hold you accountable, you’re less likely to back off.
Giving your work space a good clean
We, of course, hope you wipe the dust off your desk a bit more often than once a month 🙂 But deep cleaning your office at the beginning of each month will help you stay focused, organised and motivated for the next four work weeks. Sort out new business cards and paperwork, arrange your books, notebooks, pens and other supplies, throw away things you no longer need and, for heaven’s sake, take those old tea cups back to the kitchen already!
Here are four helpful lifehacks for the most efficient workspace.
Taking a break
As ridiculous as it sounds, finding time to take a break is the hardest for every entrepreneur and freelancer out there! There are always more things to do and goals to achieve. Unless burnout is one of them, spend at least one day per month completely switched off. No office time, no sneaky email checks on your phone, better yet – no online activity whatsoever. Leave all your tools and to-do lists behind and spend this day with outdoors and with your family. Trust us, the effort will pay off in the long run!
