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New at Inspiri

Staying focused on your long terms goals, knowing what projects and opportunities to pursue and what ones to avoid and using time efficiently can be a challenge for entrepreneurs.

Focusing and prioritizing doesn't come naturally to me. I'm happiest when I'm juggling several projects and dreaming up my next big project all at the same time. In order to run my own business efficiently, I've had to develop some good goal setting strategies to help me to prioritize and some time management strategies that allow me to focus my time and energy effectively.

The new articles on the site as well as this month's feature article outline several of the strategies I use to prioritize and focus my time.

SMART Goal Setting for Entrepreneurs
SMART goal setting will help you to achieve your goals and motivate you to achieve even larger accomplishments. Use these tips on goal setting to achieve your business goals.

5 Ways to Achieve Your Goals
Once you've set your goals, the next step is to brainstorm ways to achieve your goals. Develop an action plan to map out the steps you will take to achieve your craft business goals.

Managing Your Time – Time Management Methods for Entrepreneurs
Managing your time effectively can play a big role in the success of your business. These tips will help you develop good time management methods to create the structure you need to reach your goals.

Business Goal Setting
Effective business goal setting can help ensure that your craft business continues to move forward. Setting goals for your business can prevent your business from drifting with the whims of the economy and ensure that you steer your home craft business toward your own choices and targets.

Feature Article

Focus on Results

There are plenty of ways to build a craft business. Some business building tasks and strategies are easier and more enjoyable than others, and some are more effective than others. Unfortunately, the more challenging and less enjoyable tasks simply can't be avoided.

It can be tempting to allow yourself to settle into working all day on certain aspects of your business, such as developing new products, or building your inventory, simply because they are, for many people, enjoyable tasks. Those kinds of tasks are absolutely necessary, but they don't require you to really take any huge risks or move outside of your comfort zone in the way that other business-related tasks, like updating and balancing your books or arranging meetings with retailers might.

Creating a great product is just one step in building a profitable craft business. You'll need to take care of all aspects of your business, including the tasks that may be a bit more challenging.

If you absorb yourself in only the more enjoyable business-related tasks, you may feel like you've been productive; however when you avoid other challenging but high reward tasks, you may be busy, but you are not necessarily being productive. Your activities are far more likely to lead you to your desired goal (building your home craft business) if you require yourself to focus on all business building strategies that get results.

Just because you are busy, does not mean you are actually moving toward your goal. The 80 20 rule, also known as the Pareto Principle, sums up this concept quite well. This principle says that 80% of unfocused effort typically creates only 20% of results. That means, if you are not actively managing your time and choosing your activities based on the results they generate, only about 20% of your time will be truly productive and help to move you toward your goals.

I'm not suggesting that you abandon your studio to stare at a bunch of financial spreadsheets all day. What I am suggesting is that you find a balance between the tasks you love and gravitate toward and the tasks that are necessary but less enjoyable. Do not avoid business-related tasks and strategies that are highly productive and necessary simply because they are challenging or less enjoyable.

Using good time management methods will help you to reach your business goals. Challenge yourself to choose your tasks and business strategies based on the results they will get, and not based on the difficulty of the task, and you will be in a better position to make big strides toward your business goals.

Online Craft Business Resource

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