As business owners, we are great multi-taskers – whether it’s at home or in the work environment. We’re so used to multi-tasking that we don’t always stop to assess whether the task currently being worked on is actually adding to our bottom line… or just depleting our energy.

We can solve the drop in energy by having a quick break, taking a walk or having something to eat. Time however, is the one resource that isn’t renewable… once it’s gone, it’s gone for good. Therefore, the biggest business shift you can make is to get control on how you spend your working hours.

What follows are the three biggest secrets to protecting your time, whilst magnifying your sense of freedom, increasing your accomplishments and boosting your energy levels… whilst increasing your bottom line.

Hire an extra pair of hands

Whether you hire someone to help you clean your house and run your errands, or an assistant at work to answer your emails and schedule your tweets, hiring extra help will save you precious hours every week.

You really can’t do it all… and you don’t need to do it all. Loosen your urge to be in control of everything and hand the smaller jobs over to someone else.
Allocate your time

Don’t just schedule in your client appointments… schedule your regular tasks, projects and activities into your diary each week. Block time off to complete your action points, rather than writing a separate to-do list, schedule a block of time to complete your accounts.

Whilst you are allocating blocks of time, slot in a couple of 15 minute blocks each day to answer your email… this will enable you to stay focused on the task in hand, rather than constantly checking for new messages.

Focus on the task in front of you

Whilst you are working on a particular project or task, turn off your phone, switch off your email notifications and shut down those social media sites! Dedicating your focus to the task in hand will keep you from procrastinating… and will lead to an increased cash flow in the long run.

It may be difficult for you at first, as we have all become so used to being constantly available, however switching off those distractions will increase your productivity and motivation.

Your time is a precious commodity to you… one that other people and tasks will intrude into, if you allow it. Following these secrets will ensure you are protecting your time whist making the best use of it… and it will pay dividends to both your energy levels and your business success.

This week I invite you to think about how good you are at making the most of the hours available to you. Do you protect your available hours and your energy? What steps can you take towards controlling your working day? Share your business time-saving strategies in the comments box below.