Tops Tips On How To Get Organized

Time management tips for home-based web businesses

One of the most interesting things about running a home-based web business is that no two days are ever the same. So getting organized takes a bit more effort because you can't plan a daily schedule.

The goal in getting organized is to work smarter, not harder. Efficiency experts tell us that we spend 80% of our time earning 20% of our income, but the problem is they don't tell you which 20%! So the idea is to try and improve those stats by concentrating on the things that YOU believe make you money.

Start each day by spending some time prioritizing your tasks. It may take a few minutes, but it can save you hours of wasted time and energy.

I use Microsoft Outlook Task Manager to help me organize my life, but whatever works for you is fine. You don't have to use Outlook Express, you can just use the Calendar. It's a diamond (excuse my jewelry vernacular!) - simple to use, efficient and best of all, free.

Each morning when I crank up the laptop, Outlook is the first program I open. It displays a list of appointments for that day, tasks due and emails waiting. Everything I need to know in a single glance. When I add a task, I can give it a low, medium or high priority, then Outlook re-sorts the tasks for me. You can also make notes, set a due date and set an audible reminder for yourself.

I can insert projects or appointments and by keeping it open on my desktop, it will alert me when something needs to be done. As an example, earlier today I had a great idea for a new engagement rings page on my website but was busy on another project. All I had to do was make a quick note to myself in Outlook, give it a one-hour reminder call, and voilà, an hour later the reminder window popped up and I was ready to plan my cool new engagement ring article.

Whether you use Outlook, another online calendar system, or a hand-written diary, the most beneficial thing you can do for yourself is keep your priorities list at the front of your mind - in other words, prioritize your priorities list!

Remember the 80/20 rule? When you're prioritizing your to-do list, put the income-generating tasks at the top of the list. Yes, administrative tasks are important too, but doing the filing won't make you a cracker! Heard of delegation? Aim to enlist the help of family or friends to get the menial tasks done.

Time management articles usually suggest you handle a piece of paper only once, so transfer that strategy into the paperless online world - only deal with a task once. If you have to defer it, set a new date for completion. Once I've started on my high priority tasks, my goal is to complete the task and delete it, then move on. Of course, even the best-laid plans can get thrown out of whack with things that have to be done immediately, but your focus should be to work through your tasks and appointments in a methodical and smart way. And remember I said methodical, not plodding.

By working smarter, not harder, I guarantee you'll be amazed at the great sense of achievement you feel at the end of your working day by getting organized, leaving you more time to spend your hard-earned income on the other important things in life - like buying jewelry?
About the author:

Alexis Miller is Webmaster of plus a number of other websites. She has been working her home-based web business for three years and says she has never looked back! You can visit her website at