There never seems to be enough time to do all the things that you need to get done. Everything and everyone seems to demand a chunk of your time and it makes it very difficult to allot the proper time to building, expanding or simply maintaining your business. Not having enough time is an issue that most entrepreneurs, business owners, or managers struggle with. Think of all the things that require your precious time; family, friends, life-events, unexpected events, etc.  Lack of time becomes an even greater issue with start-up and home-based businesses because the business owners, in many cases, still have to keep the 40-hour-a-week job; at least in the beginning. Here are a few tips on how to squeeze in a few more minutes of productive, business time.

1. Work after work

- For those of you that still have to keep the day job to keep the lights on…. this one is for you!  I have seen plenty of people that have great business ideas and great intentions, but they put no time into making the ideas reality. They come home in the evening from the day job and can’t find any energy or the will to go back to work!  Working after work is unavoidable for any one wanting to be successful at building a business. We all get tired and home seems to have a way of presenting so many ‘better’ things to do. You must fight the urge to get home and stop working for the day. If you can’ t resist the urge of home, it may be best to find a place that you can go for about an hour before you get home… for most, the later in the evening it gets, the harder it is to get started on a project.

2. Identify tasks that can be completed while ‘doing’ something else

- There are times that I just need to brainstorm on an idea, write some notes, and do some reading. These are all activities that I can fit in while I am ‘doing’ something else. Think of the time spent sitting in traffic or sitting on your living room couch ‘spending time with the family’ ; these are perfect times to write a few notes or do some light reading. At the barbershop or hair stylist…. perfect time to be a little productive… if nothing more than organizing your thoughts.

3. Make minor schedule changes to allow more time for your business

- How often have you canceled the lunch date because a friend called you with something you wanted to do?  Ever decide to miss an appointment (doctor, dentists, stylist,etc.) to hang out at home?  Use that same mind set when dealing with getting things done for your business.  You will and have changed your schedule for much lesser things. Next time you cancel an appointment or reschedule, use your newly freed time to get something done for your business. I will even take it a step further; next time you have an appointment or event, defer and put in some time on your business.

4. Delegate

-This can be tricky for the small business owner, but a little creativity goes a long way. Because small businesses, generally, have a small number of employees or none, it is a bit more difficult to find people that know enough about your business or that you are comfortable enough with letting them perform some of your tasks for you. Consider this; many tasks that you need to perform do not require business-specific knowledge! Do you have a friend that can type really well…. maybe get them to type that proposal for you. Know some one that does graphics…. need a logo… you see where I’m going.

word of caution: Don’t abuse people.  Show your appreciation for the help people give and if you get some one to do extra or are readily available to help you …. pay them a little something!

5. Invest in and fully utilize your personal tech

-You have iPods and MP3 players….. ever think of getting some of your ‘reading’ done while doing your yard work or washing clothes. There are tons of audio books and industry podcast that you can load on to your portable audio devices.

-Use your cell phone’s internet connection for something other than directions, shopping and chatting. Do some of your internet marketing or follow up on all the emails in your inbox.  Did you know that your iPhone and many smart phones have applications that allow you to read ebooks?

And don’t forget… the age old voice recorder! Still great for documenting ideas. Just think, how many great ideas are lost because they were not documented.

-The laptop is a priceless business tool that is very under-utilized. Even without an internet connect, it is a work horse.  Some tools become so common place that we take for granted the power. Take a minute, one day and explore some of the software you have on your computer. Take a look at some of the capabilities, of some of the most common applications (like MS Word, Adobe Acrobat). Don’t be fooled… you don’t need the newest laptop (or desktop) to have enough power to do more than you will ever want to do. Keep this fact in mind when purchasing computers. A small business budget can be very tight but, you can find great deals on refurbished computers.

Get connected. A laptop is a great tool by itself, but when you connect to the internet, it becomes exponentially greater. The internet is often taken for granted as well. We get caught up with shopping, socializing and email, we forget the amount of information that is available on countless topics.  To add to that, it is a great place to market and conduct your business.

-Make it fun. There are interesting tech gadgets that help with all kinds of things from keeping your coffee warm to scanning a line of text from a document.

Understand, all work and no play is no way to live, but if you want to achieve financial independence and hopefully, a more secure financial future you have to be willing to make some adjustments and be creative to make the time to handle your business tasks.