Audio version of "But I Have No Time For Internet Marketing."
Until a couple of years ago, I taught time management courses as well as my Internet marketing online courses. When I went through a redesign and refocusing of my business, I decided not to continue teaching the time management courses, but of course, I still use time management techniques to make my own Internet marketing programs successful. And, of course, I also help my coaching clients free up time for their own Internet marketing programs.
The Internet has many wonderful free ways to market, but it is critical that you invest the time to make them successful.
So how do I set up my time?
While your business won?t be exactly like mine, the tasks I have to accomplish in a week include:
Marketing
Helping my clients
Updating my web site
Writing my online courses and workshop presentations
Writing articles
Answering e-mails and phone calls
Bookkeeping
Administration
So what are my secrets to getting it all done?
Time Management Secret #1 ? Marketing is TOP Priority
I believe that until an entrepreneur has the income they desire, at least 50% of their day must be spent on marketing and generating income. This involves creating new sales, not doing the work for clients you already have.
I was chatting with a lady who had a business that was just starting out. I gave her some ideas about how she could market, and she replied that she ?wouldn?t have time for that.? With a brand new business and zero clients, what the heck could she be working on? Can?t be any bookkeeping or administration yet and certainly no orders to process. Somehow, she had managed to build a bureaucracy into her business that tied up time that should have been spent on marketing.
Time Management Secret #2 ? Assigning time in blocks
I assign blocks of time to each category of task and stick to the time limit, by actually setting a timer. When the timer goes off, I finish the sentence I am on and then move to the next project. Here is an example of how I block my time for a 40 hour work week.
|
Marketing ? 50% (20 hours/week) |
All other ? 50% (20 hours/week) |
||
|
Online networking |
10 hrs |
Coaching clients |
6 hrs |
|
Marketing follow-up (emails and phone calls) |
5 hrs |
Writing courses |
6 hrs |
|
Marketing planning/proposal writing/materials preparation |
3 hrs |
Web site updates |
3 hrs |
|
Newsletter/e-mail marketing |
1 hr |
Writing articles for web site and newsletter |
3 hrs |
|
Talk Radio |
1 hr |
Bookkeeping and other admin |
2 hrs |
|
Total |
20 hrs |
Total |
20 hrs |
Time Management Secret #3 ? The power of focus
Beware of the ?entrepreneur disease.? Entrepreneurs are notorious for having and starting great creative ideas, but not finishing them.
How do I know about the entrepreneur disease? I suffered from it BIG TIME. I would continually launch interesting new ideas and new businesses rather than working towards my original vision.
True success did not come to me until I learned to narrow my focus and ONLY work on things that fit the vision for my business. It is easy to get led astray by other, more glamorous looking opportunities, but if they don?t fit the core values and mission statement of your business, they will lead you off the right path.
We?ve all heard that time is money, it is actually MORE valuable than money. There are always ways to get more money, but if you run out of time?that?s it.
Treat your time as valuable and stop working on the things that don?t generate income or move your business forward!
Garland Coulson, ?The E-Business Tutor? is an acclaimed speaker, author and coach in the field of Internet marketing for small business and home business. For more information, visit The E-Business Tutor web site at www.ebusinesstutor.com or call toll-free in North America at 1-866-413-0951.
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