Maximising your time: 8 diary management tips for busy female founders

When it comes to running a business, time is money. Freelancers and small business owners not only have to fit revenue-generating tasks into their week but also those that are vital to the day-to-day running of the business. This often results in a demanding schedule and a jam-packed diary.

When you have little free time, learning to optimise the time you do have is crucial for your business to grow. You need your schedule to help your business rather than hinder it, and that’s where I come in…

Below are my top 8 diary management tips to help you make your diary work for you. Give them a try and you’ll be a diary management pro in no time!

1. Plan ahead

One of the hardest things about running a small business is trying to keep on top of your ever-growing workload. Planning ahead wherever possible will help you keep on track and make your work days smooth sailing. 

Try to organise your diary at the start of each week and visualise what your working days will look like. This will allow you to prepare for meetings or projects in advance rather than scramble to put everything together at the last minute.

Having a clear idea of your weekly schedule will also give you a better idea of when (or if) you have any time to spare. Unexpected events can then be slotted into these gaps rather than run the risk of overbooking yourself.

2. Colour-code events

Nowadays, most people rely on a digital diary such as Google Calendar instead of a traditional paper version. This has many advantages, one of which is that you can quickly and easily colour-code events.

I highly recommend you use this feature, as it gives you a clear picture of what you have coming up at a glance. It also helps you find specific events quickly, as you only have to scan those events in the right colour.

Try to use a different colour for each type of event. For example, you could highlight meetings in pink, client projects in yellow, and personal events in blue.

3. Schedule breaks

When you’re running a business, it can be hard to switch off and take time out for yourself, especially if you work from home! No matter how much work you do, there’s always another task ready to fill your remaining time.

Although working yourself to the bone may seem productive, you’ll soon start making mistakes, and your mental health could suffer, leading to burnout. Giving yourself time to rest will actually boost your productivity in the long run.

Scheduling a regular lunch break and days off throughout the year will help you plan your work without accidentally leaving yourself no time to take a break.

Block out time to read, exercise, catch up with friends and family, go on holiday and anything else that lights up your soul before you schedule anything else. Then plan your work around your life, not the other way around!

4. Include all relevant information

How much information do you add to events in your diary? Saving all the information relevant to the event will save you so much time later on. No more scrabbling around searching for emails or documents when starting a new project, or searching for the Zoom link or phone number before you join a call.

Save everything you need with the event and you’ll have everything you need to hand at short notice.

For example, when you book a meeting, include what the meeting is about, where and when it will take place, who it involves, how to contact them, and what you need to prepare.

5. Make the most of your time

When a new engagement comes up, it can be easy to add it to your first available time slot without taking into account the events already in your diary that day. This can result in you wasting time without even realising it.

If you are aware of your current engagements, you can schedule them in a more time-efficient way. For example, you can schedule meetings that are happening in the same place on the same day to reduce your travel times.

Or you could book calls only in the mornings, so you can get your head down to concentrate on work in the afternoons (or whenever you’re at your most productive). A quiet session of focused work will always be more productive than trying to work with constant interruptions because you’ve got calls or meetings scheduled throughout the day.

6. Be consistent with naming

I’ve already covered how helpful it is to colour-code your schedule so you can understand it at a glance, but keeping the name of your events consistent is also useful.

When skimming your diary, you want to understand what each engagement is straight away. Similar events such as calls can easily be confused if they’re not named clearly, and you don’t want to waste precious time clicking on each one until you find the one you’re looking for.

The naming conventions you use are completely up to you. I personally use the following formula: [event type] - [name of client] - [extra info]. Whatever you choose, make sure to remain consistent and include any information that is crucial to your understanding of what the engagement is.

7. Make use of reminders

Most digital calendars come with the option of setting multiple reminders per event. These can be sent via email or a phone or desktop notification based on your preferences.

If you don’t already, try setting reminders so you don’t forget anything important.

A few of the helpful ways I use reminders include:

• To remind me to confirm meetings and appointments the day before.

• To remind me to prep for meetings and consultations ahead of time.

• To remind me of important events 5 minutes prior, so I’m never caught off guard.

8. Delegate

With so much to juggle each day, it’s easy to push diary management to the bottom of your to-do list. But this will work against you in the long run.

It’s no surprise then, that diary management is often the first task people delegate to someone else to manage. Whether delegating to an in-house personal assistant or a remote virtual assistant, delegating will help you keep on top of your schedule and focus on the revenue-generating tasks you enjoy.

Although hiring someone may seem like an unnecessary cost, it is an investment that will give you more time to grow your business and increase future revenue.

If you’d like to learn more about how my team could help with your diary management, get in touch. You may be surprised how much difference a little help can make.

TLDR: A well-managed diary is a vital step in running a successful business. Make sure to plan ahead, schedule breaks, create detailed entries with consistent naming, use colour coding and reminders, and use your time wisely. And if all else fails, why not delegate to an experienced assistant?

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