Time management is key to running your home based business, as there often does not seem to be enough hours in the day to do all the things you want to do.  However, if you focus your energy and know how to prioritize, you will find that your business will run more smoothly, and you will get more done in less time. 

Don’t be fooled by all of the people who tell you it is so simple to develop time management skills.  If you haven’t developed them by now, the process will take time and energy, especially if you have a lot of priorities coming at you all the time.  However, those priorities are the first place to start for better time management.  Make a list of all the things that need to be done.  Then rank them in order of importance.  If you have a program like Outlook or Entourage, this process can all be done on the computer, though a piece of paper works just as well.

It may seem that everything you have listed is important, and it probably is, but learn to identify what is more important.  Ask yourself what would happen if you did not get to the task right away.  If there is little consequence, then it should not be toward the top of your list.  Time management always begins with prioritizing tasks.  It keeps you much more focused on what needs to be done versus what you want to do.

The next task in time management is that you need to learn to allocate time to your tasks properly.  Even for those who have effective time management skills, this can be a difficult thing to do.  Estimate the amount of time you think it will take to do each task, then add 40 percent to that amount of time.  Most people grossly underestimate the time it takes to do things, so if you add in that amount of time, you will save yourself a lot of grief later.

Also, make sure you schedule your tasks during your peak times.  In time management, you want to do things at times of day that you are at your best.  For example, if you are at your peak in the afternoon, then you should focus on work during that time, because you will be able to focus better and get more done.  This strategic time management will make you much more efficient.

Finally, while you are developing your time management skills, you may want to minimize your need to multi-task.  Focus on one thing at time.  Don’t worry, though, since you allocated time to each task, you won’t miss anything.  You will find that being able to give a task your full attention will make you much more efficient.

Developing your time management skills takes effort at first, but practice will eventually make it second nature.  Break the cycle of allowing yourself to be distracted or working at your least efficient times of day, and you will find that time management will  make your business run better and more efficiently, making you a happier home based business owner.