| Time is money in your online business, just as in the | | | | other frequently used online information, within easy |
| offline business world.Problem is, the typical Internet | | | | fingertip reach.Once your goals are set, you'll know |
| entrepreneur is in a race against time: Often snowed | | | | exactly where you're going (and what to stay |
| under with many things to do, trying to achieve | | | | focused on), and when you use a prioritized To-Do |
| maximum results (income) within the precious, very | | | | list, you'll have a step-by-step plan for reaching your |
| limited time available.Especially if you're holding down a | | | | destination.3) Exercise Self-DisciplineThe best time |
| full-time job while trying to launch or expand your | | | | management system in the world is worthless if we |
| Internet business in your spare hours, you've got | | | | don't exercise self-discipline.It's so easy to log on to |
| precious little time to waste.If care isn't exercised in | | | | the Net, just planning to "check your email," and |
| the way we spend time online, our personal and | | | | before you know it, get distracted by other things |
| family life can suffer, not to mention bad financial | | | | and end up spending much more time on things we |
| consequences.To add to that pressure, family | | | | hadn't planned, and wonder where the time went.I |
| members may resent the amount of time spent on | | | | know, I know: It's easier said than done, but |
| our venture, versus the limited income it may initially | | | | exercising self-discipline will help us stay focused and |
| earn.As the author of an audio program on time | | | | avoid wasting time or getting distracted on less |
| management, I'm going to share with you some | | | | important activities. If you can stay focused on the |
| proven time management tips, which have been | | | | most important tasks (which you've identified by |
| adapted to running a business online. I can't promise | | | | setting goals and prioritizing your To-Do list), you'll see |
| you more than 24 hours in your day, but I'll share | | | | greater results from your time and effort.4) |
| practical tips to help you work smarter and more | | | | Automate Where PossibleI have written much more |
| profitably online - instead of longer or harder.Two | | | | on this topic than the limited space in this article |
| primary keys to making the most of the time we | | | | allows, but let me mention a few tools that aren't |
| spend online are:A) Being selective, andB) Staying | | | | new to online marketers, but whose time-saving |
| focused.We must be SELECTIVE, because there are | | | | value is often |
| an infinite number of things we can spend our online | | | | overlooked:*AutorespondersAutoresponders are very |
| time on, which will not yield productive results.We | | | | useful tools for automatically filling your prospects' |
| must stay FOCUSED, because any of an infinite | | | | requests for information on your products and |
| number of things can easily distract us from getting | | | | services, non-stop, 24 hrs of every day of the |
| more important things done.That brings us to the | | | | year.*Email FiltersThe "filters" feature of good email |
| first step of effective online time management...1) | | | | programs such as Pegasus and Eudora Pro make the |
| Set GoalsIf you don't know what your final | | | | automation of many email activities a snap. If you're |
| destination is, how can you ever take action toward | | | | not using them, you don't know what you're |
| getting there? Hence, the need to set goals.The | | | | missing.~ Pegasus: Eudora Pro: Periodically Analyze |
| goals you set for your online business will vary, based | | | | Your BusinessIn our quest for more value from the |
| on which stage you're at and which direction you | | | | time we spend in our online businesses, it helps to |
| want to go from there. It helps to write your goals | | | | stand back and periodically analyze which activities |
| down and periodically review them. Many feel that | | | | have been working - and which haven't.From there, |
| this better enables your subconscious mind to help | | | | we can give more attention to expanding what's |
| you work toward your goals.2) Keep and Use a | | | | been working, and tweak, change, or eliminate what |
| Prioritized To-Do ListKeeping lists may seem simplistic, | | | | hasn't. We can thus progressively see more profitable |
| but the most productive top-achievers are typically | | | | results from the time spent online.ConclusionIf you |
| methodical users of To-Do lists.Be sure to rank each | | | | want to get maximum benefit from the limited time |
| task on your To-Do lists by priority, such as high, | | | | you have to accomplish things in your online business, |
| medium or low. As you tackle the items on your list, | | | | or any other area of life, you must manage your |
| always tackle the highest priority tasks first, and | | | | time well.When you do, you'll achieve more, and you'll |
| those of lower priority as time allows. Obviously, your | | | | look back on your work with the satisfaction of |
| highest priority tasks will correspond with the | | | | knowing that you got the most important things |
| achievement of your highest priority goals.I've found | | | | done, instead of looking back with regret.As Benjamin |
| that a 3-ring binder kept near my computer is a good | | | | Franklin said: "Dost thou love life? Then do not |
| place for organizing To-Do lists, project notes, and | | | | squander time, for that's the stuff life is made of. |