Although workdays can be hectic, the owner of Be Clean Naturally in downtown 麻豆社国产knows time management is key to running a successful business.
Kirstin French opened the store after her handmade soaps made their mark at local farmers鈥� markets. She uses natural ingredients, such as minerals and honey, and pure essential oils instead of dye to scent the soap.
French said for a business to run smoothly, it鈥檚 essential to prioritize tasks so the most important jobs are completed first.
鈥淵ou need to know what you鈥檙e capable of, and what you shouldn鈥檛 take on yourself. It can be hard, but you need to delegate to other people,鈥� said French. 鈥淚f I do things that aren鈥檛 my job, that鈥檚 a way of procrastinating, so I need to check my priorities.鈥�
She suggests writing out a list of duties in a notepad, not only on a smartphone or tablet, and ticking of the jobs as they are accomplished.
鈥淏uy a notepad you like. It could have a magnetic strap, or maybe you like the colour or feel 鈥� that way you鈥檒l actually use it,鈥� she said. 鈥淲rite down your final goal and work backwards, jotting down an action plan to achieve it. Once you have this, it鈥檚 easy to follow.鈥�
Busy salon
Marian Robertson, owner of Devlin Hair Salon in Squamish, said keeping track of upcoming events and obligations ahead of time helps her be more organized at her busy salon.
鈥淚t really helps give a roadmap for the future,鈥� she said. 鈥淚 try to spend a few minutes each day listing priorities. This keeps the ball rolling without things piling up at the end of the week.鈥�
Robertson has experience in a wide range of roles in the salon industry, so she knows how to prioritize time to make her business run smoothly.
鈥淚 have worked many positions: stylist, training, front desk, cleaning, marketing, managing books 鈥� you name it,鈥� she said. 鈥淗aving knowledge of all these positions makes it easier for me to delegate tasks to others and streamline the business.鈥�
Robertson also advises that balancing time between work and non-work life is essential to operating a business in the long term.
Spending time away from work to reenergize mentally and physically inspires her to come up with new ideas for the salon.
A proper work-life balance is also important to French. 鈥淢ake sure you get time for yourself, which as an entrepreneur can be tricky, especially if you work from home. It鈥檚 easy to fall into the trap of working all the time,鈥� she said.
She said entrepreneurs will be happier and get more done if they also spend some time away from the office. 鈥淕o for a walk in the forest, do yoga, play badminton, draw, play music. Make time to fit it in, and start this good habit from the beginning.鈥�
