As an entrepreneur, your time is valuable and you want to do the best you can. With simple time management techniques, you’ll be one step closer and by avoiding these time management mistakes, you’ll be even closer to achieving what you desire.

Acknowledging your time management issue

At some point, we all may have told ourselves that if only there was more time, the project would have finished, but that is not the case. We start stressing about time itself and actually distract ourselves from getting the work done.

The problem isn’t the amount of time you have or the distractions that get in the way, it’s how you manage your time and those distractions. So, instead of complaining and stressing out, start learning time management techniques and try to use them as often as you can.

Having no plans for the day

If you’re prepared for something, chances are you’ll have a higher score than if you weren’t. Planning takes time and if you plan your day on that day, not only are you wasting time, but you’re also creating confusion and frustration for yourself because you are rushing things.

It’s just like homework, you’d rather have it done the day before so that you don’t have to worry about it the next day.

Write your to-do list or plan the night before, that way you’ll have more time and focus. Prepare your clothing, meal, and briefcase the night before too, so that the next day you’re only focusing on the work at hand.

something urgent comes up or if something were to happen because you got it done first thing in the day.

Trying to do everything yourself

Every busy person is in need of assistance, and so are you. There are certain tasks that don’t require you to complete them. Often they are simple things like setting up a meeting or getting the signatures of volunteers.

You can hire a personal assistant to do them for you, not only will they take care of the little things, but they’ll also prepare your daily schedule for you. Simple errands shouldn’t be on your daily list when someone else can do it for you, you want to save your time for the more important things.

Not ready for an interruption

Even if you’ve planned everything out, have the meetings set, got the important things done, there is always the possibility of an interruption. In order to deal with the sudden event that disturbed your well-planned day, you need to be flexible and leave time for those events.

You don’t want to plan everything tightly or have no backup plans for important events. When something happens, you need to pull yourself together and think of a backup plan. You can either leave extra hours in case of an unexpected event or have backup plans for when they do.

Being in a bad environment and headspace

You can spend all day, non-stop, working on your tasks, but what happens near the end is that you lose focus and energy, leading to bad results.

Taking a break is key to a productive day. You need to recharge your batteries for the upcoming

tasks and clear your head of anxiety.

To get good energy for the rest of the tasks, you can take a walk around the room, take a short nap, clean your workspace, or even take a snack break.

The thing about time management is to find out what works for you. You can always look for templates or take advice from people, but you should always adjust that schedule to your own style so that you’re more comfortable with it.

Not prioritizing your tasks for the day

You can only get so much done in one day and you don’t want extra work for the next. While listing down your tasks, you should also arrange them in the right order; which one is the most important? Which one is the least and won’t hurt if you can’t get done on time?

The first thing you need to get done on that day, is the most important task, one that will have many side-effects if not completed and can affect all the other tasks. The rest will be less important than the first one. If you get that one done, you won’t have to worry about it if

Such problems occur in business almost daily, regardless of what your business is or who you are. While some of us just try to solve the problem, entrepreneurs try to prevent it from happening again, by turning ideas into a reality where that problem won’t occur as much.

Entrepreneurs are important individuals in our society, they work hard to help us step into the future by turning simple ideas into something that benefits the people around them; a startup that helps reduce pollution in the city and reduce traffic can benefit almost everyone who is either living in the city or spends most of their day in traffic.

As entrepreneurs, problem-solving skills are a must-have. And with each time being different, it’s important to know how to approach a certain problem. You would have to analyze the problem carefully, evaluate its possible outcomes, and think about how the possible solution can affect the environment and the people in it.

By applying the following skills, you can experience less trouble solving an issue in your business.

1. Being pensive

Thinking. When there is a problem, most of us try to solve it in a hurry to get it out of the way. While this may be impressive or it might save you time, it might get back at you because you didn’t think of the outcome or the effects of your solution.

You need to think of everything and take your time while doing so. Entrepreneurs are constantly thinking and it might even take days to come up with a solution, the difference is that they not only have a solution but also all the possible outcomes and how we can prevent the negative ones.

It’s about taking time to digest all the information you know about the problem, taking time to research every element of it, and analyzing all of the factors that can contribute to the problem before making a valid conclusion.

2. Thinking outside the box

There are always the innovators and the imitators, the difference is that the innovator can grow and expand their ideas in new possible ways while the imitator keeps themself within a box to be on the safe side.

Creativity allows you to dive deep, take risks, explore, and learn. Going beyond the boundaries that are set, is what makes you an innovator rather than an imitator. How is your solution different? How is it unique to the environment?

3. Taking action

We can all talk for days about what could have been better and what should’ve been done, but are we willing to take action to make it happen? Not everyone will be ready to.

You need to take action and have a part in the solution. Take the lead in making it happen and show that you’re not just talking. This shows that you’re passionate and confident about what you do.

Taking action could mean getting to know the staff and gathering them to discuss your solution, researching within the company to learn more about what is at hand, and of course, getting back to trying once you’ve failed by believing in what you do.

4. Determination and discipline

Sometimes a problem can be big and it might take you even more than you thought to solve it. But if you’re doing the same thing over and over just to get it done, you’re not really being smart. You’re not always going to be successful, you might even cause damage to yourself and the company, but what sets you aside after that? Determination.

Determination is key here, giving it your all to solve this issue knowing that you might fail but also that you’ll keep trying. You have to put time for it, be wise in your decisions, focus, and try your hardest to achieve what you want to.

Self-Discipline contributes to determination. To be able to do all of the things that an entrepreneur is said to do, you need to be disciplined. That means being on the right path, keeping focus, being committed, and avoiding distractions.

5. Being able to adapt to the situation

Situations change constantly and things are not going to always be the way you want them to. So you need to be able to adapt to it at the right time.

There is another problem on top of the previous one, you need to adapt to the addition and work to solve them both. This creates an opportunity for a wider solution because it can be applied to more than one problem.

Maybe someone disagrees with your solution, hear them out and digest what they have to say, and adapt to the new standards. Just like in nature, we need to adapt to our environment in order to survive.

We face problems every day, big and small, but what matters is that we solve them and the way we solve them. Next time you come across a problem, try applying the skills listed above.

But then you might ask yourself, what plant is suitable for my home? Magazines and blogs don’t really talk about this part as much, so you end up buying a plant that isn’t right for the environment you’re in.

Thankfully, plant enthusiasts Ron Radu and Nico Bartoli thought of a solution. They wanted to make owning plants less stressful and easy, so they created Léon & George.

It all started in 2016 by partnering with local plant growers, having to have mini-greenhouses to operate their services. Giving the right care and attention to a customer’s demands, they’ve scaled to a point where they no longer turn their homes into storage.

Customers really receive the full package when using this service. All they have to do is choose from a collection of plants and then pair it with a planter, or choose to shop by the benefits of the plant. In the end, you receive a package that includes; the plant, pot, wooden stand, and instructions about the plant.

Knowing exactly what you should do for your well-chosen-plant, taking care of it is easy. You also receive Weekly Plant Care Reminder emails that help you give more attention to how you are taking care of your plant. And if you have any questions about your plant, you can simply email a “plant doctor” at the address they give you after purchase.

If you’re living in a big city, busy life, or just don’t know much about plants, then this is the perfect help for you. With everything done for you, you can easily own the right houseplant and give your home the lift it needs.

Just like an employer, there are certain boxes that each investor wants to check when it comes to choosing, and as an entrepreneur, you should try to meet those standards. Here are some things to keep in mind before getting there.

Market opportunity

You should have a wide view of your business and how it’s going to affect the environment around it.

Which market are you trying to serve? How big is that market? Is there a demand for your service in that market?

This is where you need to offer your solution, the benefits that you are offering to that market, and how it’s different from other existing solutions.

You need to address how you are helping, what you are doing to help, in what way will it affect the market, and how will the future of that market look like with your solution applied.

Confidence and extensive knowledge of what you are talking about are key points here.

Your team

If you are a one-man-show, then chances are you will not be able to do all the things you promise. To make your solution practical, you need to have a well-rounded team.

Be prepared to explain the responsibilities of each member. How are they contributing to your startup? What are their skills?

Apart from being a team, you need to show that you all care about this startup and that you are willing to give it your all to guarantee its success. You can even divide the presenting time among your team members, to emphasize your teamwork. From the way you present and work together, the investors can pick up on the chemistry between you and whether or not you are team players.

Action

What actions have you taken before seeking investors? It is never right to be all talk, especially when presenting your business. You need to show how you have previously engaged with clients in that market, and what you have built so far in terms of an MVP (Minimum Viable Product). Your business should also have a website and social media page.

You want to show them that your business has been successful until now and that all it needs to grow even more is an investment. Presenting real data to the group can be quite impressive and can show committed you are to your business.

4- Connection with the investors

While trying to raise funds for your business, connecting with the investors can be a great advantage. You want to show that you are a capable and trust-worthy person. The importance is to be someone they will not forget easily.

Share a bit about yourself and your background before starting the presentation, engage with them through questions, and accept their feedback.

First impressions are also based on appearance; wear proper clothing, speak with a professional tone, and listen to what they have to say. Present yourself as a reasonable and trustworthy entrepreneur.

Knowing what to expect from these meetings can help you prepare for it more easily. Just through simple actions, you can put yourself in a better position during the session, and might even be favored by an individual, or leave a good impression on all of them.

The goal here is to interest them enough for another meeting, making them want to hear more about you and your business.