Why should you start your own business?

Should you start your own business? If you are asking yourself that question, you are almost ready to go for it. This is how the biggest adventures begin: weighing the advantages and disadvantages, the benefits, the risks, etc. There is no lack of motivation when it comes to becoming your own boss. Rather than asking yourself “if” you should launch a start-up, why not ask “why” you should do it? So, why start your own business?

Becoming an entrepreneur to earn more money

Money is one of the primary factors that most people consider when thinking about launching their own business. It is, of course, a valid motivation. However, starting a business often means making less money at first, or even no money at all. Subsequently, entrepreneurs end up earning more or less the same amount of money they did when they were employees. Profits and growth depend on the economic model, the market, the sector, etc. That being said, bosses still generally earn more than the average wage earner. Therefore, you can start your own business to make more money. You just have to be patient and to remember that it can take time.

Launching a business to become your own boss

This factor is motivating enough. Do you want to manage your own schedule? Want to be independent and accountable only to your clients? Are you tired of following someone else’s strategy? Want to take control and test your ideas? If yes, the time has come to create your own company. Entrepreneurs need to have a certain drive and thirst for independence to thrive for success. Being an entrepreneur means having to do everything on your own, taking on all the risks and moving forward. Some may find it too taxing while others will flourish through it.

Creating your own company for the sake of passions and dreams

Another reason people often choose to become entrepreneurs is to devote themselves to their passion. In these cases, other motives and constraints become secondary factors. The only thing that matters is to do what they want to do. While launching your business for this purpose can be a bit risky, passion is a quintessential element in entrepreneurship. It is what will help you overcome obstacles and hard times. If you are passionate about what you do, you will easily convince your customers, partners and employees. Your entrepreneurship experience will also be much more fun and fruitful.

Simply for the sake of work

If you cannot find a job, create one. Jobseekers make up a big portion of entrepreneurs. They often start a business with work as the sole motivation, which is just fine. These entrepreneurs who create their own jobs have a lot to gain in the long run. They end up acquiring experience and knowledge about the world of entrepreneurship. Gradually, they also become more motivated to grow as entrepreneurs.

Or because of great timing

Several elements often become major catalysts in a person’s pursuit of entrepreneurship. One may have every type of motivation and the economic backing to want to launch a business. However, sometimes the conditions are not met. Factors that one might overlook become crucial turning points. The market or the suppliers might not not ready. Even the season or the general local business atmosphere can affect the success or the launch of a business. In other words, timing is important and can be a motive all by itself.

There are a myriad of other reasons why you should open a business. The driving factor however still lies within you. Do you want to become your own boss? Do you feel confident about your service or product? Will you be able to work on your own? Are you willing to learn everything about becoming an entrepreneur? Do you have the patience for it? All of these, any many more unlisted questions, are determining factors that you may want to consider. Entrepreneurship is an adventure. It is up to you to join.

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Entrepreneur’s Talk with Marc Israel

Marc Israel is Turbine’s newest addition to the team of coaches who accompany our startups. He’s an engineer by qualification, having majored in Robotics which he claims was not a very sexy choice at the time that he was in university. He made up for that by serving in the French army for some time.

He has subsequently developed a very impressive professional track record in launching his own IT services company which he sold with the intention of catching a break from the hustle and bustle of his Parisian life, little did he know, he would never be returning there as a resident.

Marc started consulting for Microsoft and was subsequently appointed as Director of Marketing in Cloud Computing there. After 17 years of service, he left Microsoft last year. He explains that he had been experiencing an increasing amount of pressure from the corporate world and that he felt the need to start something of his own again. He moved to Mauritius and now has a company in Technology and Digital Transformation in companies around cloud computing and slowly exploring AI.

Mauritius being a tiny market, he was lucky to have had Mauritius as a target market when he was working at Microsoft. This means that he knew a lot of people in the industry before starting his own venture. Despite this, he was still bootstrapping at the beginning. He knew that he had to expand beyond Mauritius and use technology as a leverage for that.

Our incubated had quite a few salient questions that Marc candidly responded to. Here are a few of them:

  • How do you convince your customers that the solution you are offering is the right one?

He asks for pain points within the company, he explains. Be it in the production line, or in IT, or in anything that they can come up with. He says it is important to know to ask the right questions that need solutions. This may not come over night, but can become apparent after a couple of meetings. Once this process is complete, he says it is important to obtain a proof of concept for the proposed solution.

He emphasizes that there are still certain myths around AI. This is the reason why he has decided to launch a series of Talks called AI Tuesdays: To educate more people in Mauritius around AI.

 

  • When you don’t have a big brand’s credibility behind how do you go about creating trust with your target market, especially Mauritius?

First of all, it isn’t always the best thing to be associated to a big brand, beyond positive brand equity, it can have tons of opponents. If your target market is Mauritius, then you need create awareness around your project.

If your target market is not Mauritius, then forget about Mauritius and try tackle international markets. Scale from the get go. Think about what you can offer for free now that you can get money from later: Think about how you can attract as many people as fast as possible. Scale is the essence of the game.

It is also important to give some thought to your value proposition and think about what you are you offering that other people are not and how you are doing it. Think in terms of customer benefits, don’t fall in love with your features.

 

  • With regards to scaling to Africa, what is the advice you would give?

One of the first things to keep in mind when thinking about scaling to Africa that Africa is a continent, not a country. Often what works in one country will not work in another. Target is key!

Secondly, it is also important to note that out of approximately 1 billion people in the entire continent, you will probably only be target about 30% to 40% of the population, which as a percentage seems small but would still represent approximately 300 to 400 million.

As a final piece of advice to entrepreneurs wanting launch their startups Marc suggests to go swift and to go fast. Acquiring business is one of the main priorities that you must set for yourself.

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How to find investors for your start-up

To raise money and start a small business, there is nothing better than investors. These individuals and/or companies pour money into your project, leaving you free to make it thrive. However, sponsors do not provide funds easily. They may also not invest at all if they do not find the idea to be profitable enough. To raise your chances of getting sponsored, you need a truly brilliant idea and solid preparation. Find some tips on ways to get funding below:

Consider joining an incubator for your start-up

You just got your idea for a start-up and you are new to the idea of entrepreneurship. If your project is an innovative one, you can consider joining an incubator. These organisations assist entrepreneurs and help them grow their idea into a flourishing start-up. They provide various types of facilities, such as access to legal services and to a work space. These incubators, such as Turbine, can help you to connect with like-minded individuals and thus create a professional network. They will eventually provide you with the means to get funding for your start-up to grow.

Make your activity visible to investors

Sometimes, businesses do not need much funding to launch on a small scale. Once this is done, you can attract investors by making your activity as visible as possible. Become trendy. Get media attention and work on your popularity on social media. Use influencers and SEO tactics as much as possible. Getting popular in Mauritius is easy since its population is quite small. Journalists are also always on the lookout for innovative subjects to cover. Make your business famous even before you present it to potential investors. This will considerably increase your chances of getting a sponsor.

Know your business from A to Z

The key is to arrive to your presentation well-prepared. If you are unsure about your idea and/or your charts and figures, you will not paint a reliable picture of yourself. The investors will not deem you capable enough to carry out the project. In other cases, they will not deem the project itself worthy enough. An investor is looking for a leader, a ship’s captain. A captain who does not know its ship cannot lead it on a successful journey.

Prepare a rock-solid business plan and revise accounting and management basics. Work on your public speaking skills and rehearse your presentation before the actual day. Focus on communicating your vision and on displaying its potential. You already know your project and your market by heart. So you need to impress with figures to bring credibility to your project.

 

Once you obtain funding, you should work on building sales rapidly. A start-up will only become a fully-fledged business if it demonstrates rapid growth. Investors will also be more at ease about sponsoring your project if they see quick and satisfying results. A fast-growing company will give less opportunity to competitors. Aside from sponsors, you can consider other options to raise capital. These are crowdfunding, money-saving and loans, amongst others.

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Entrepreneurs on social media : what makes it so lucrative?

Social media has been gaining more and more importance across the years with the rise of digital advertising. At the local level, various Mauritian entrepreneurs have opened sustainable social-media exclusive businesses. Others have boosted their start-ups thanks to well-timed and focused social media marketing strategies. Others still use their accounts to create online portfolios for their products. What makes these communication and socializing platforms so lucrative and advantageous to entrepreneurs? Find the answers below:

 

Social media is free/inexpensive

Be it Facebook, Twitter or Instagram, all of them enable users to create free accounts. Entrepreneurs do not have to spend a rupee to set up their business online via these platforms. The advanced advertising options also do not cost much. This makes them especially convenient for beginners and small businesses who cannot afford an actual website. They do not have to pay monthly rent, labour costs and/or invest in merchandise to display. For instance, various on-demand food businesses have flourished with these low-cost options.

 

Social media is user-friendly

Most of the popular social media platforms are easy to use. They are designed to make users comfortable and they make business-running easy. Young entrepreneurs excel at working with these sites and apps and can expertly launch their start-up online. On the other hand, some members of the aged population might find the technology daunting. However, if taught properly, they will surely be able to use the platforms. Busy people also find it easier to use online means of browsing and shopping. Social media is, after all, less time consuming and location-sensitive than traditional brick and mortar stores.

 

The platforms have a large daily user-count

Social media platforms provide entrepreneurs with access to an important number of local and foreign potential clients. They offer opportunities for mass viewership and for a considerable rise in popularity. This also applies in vice versa. Users can easily access information and pictures about entrepreneurs and their businesses. This helps to build a reputation and increases communication between businesses and clients. Additionally, thanks to the use of artificial intelligence and databases, potential customers receive advertisement campaigns according to their interests. This maximises chances of them visiting the advertised page and buying the product.

 

Social media is a trendy form of doing business

The contemporary society is very receptive of innovation. Social media businesses embrace this trend and become part of the online community. Incidentally, the rise of influencer marketing perfectly highlights the increasing popularity of digital advertising. By using influencers to promote a product, entrepreneurs target the local population in a very trendy way. This can also work to increase the credibility of the business, thus attracting more customers.

As seen above, social media offers a wide range of opportunities to entrepreneurs. From setup to marketing to customer management, these platforms work to facilitate business creation and development. Entrepreneurs who wish to evaluate their start-ups before investing also sometimes turn to social media for a test run. Various other advantages include employee communication, instant company updates, maintaining an online presence, keeping track of the competition, etc…

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How to develop your business on the international scale?

Developing your business abroad seems simple thanks to the Internet. However, internationalisation can fail without a good prior study of the competition, the market, and/or cultural codes.

Digital activities are continuing to grow internationally, partly due to the facilities that the Internet offers to entrepreneurs. It is easy to slack off with the advantages of technology. It allows you to create an activity with the prospect of developing it internationally, all without moving from home. This does not mean that it is effortless. To expand on an international scale, you will need to grow your expertise and multiply collaborations. Therefore, staying at home and taking it easy is not a real option.

Below are some key steps to take when planning to launch your business abroad.

Analyse your business’s performance with regards to the local market

Before considering the expansion of your business on the international scale, you should conduct a study about its current performance. Are local customers happy with the services that it offers? Is your business successful at the local level? If the answers to these are yes, you should try to understand what makes your product/service appealing to consumers.

If you are unfamiliar with the local market or the behaviour of your customers, you can ask them directly. Set up a feedback form on your website, e-mail your clients with questions or conduct a satisfaction survey. The information that you gather will allow you to identify what makes your product attractive to your consumers. This data will be crucial when you start working on internationalisation.

Understand the expectations of the target foreign market

Your product may be the best and most attractive in its local market. There is still a possibility that it will not work at all in a new geographical area. Various entrepreneurs face this problem when they attempt to expand abroad without carrying out prior research.

Determining the readiness of the target foreign market to accept your product is easier after studying its demands. It is also helpful to determine whether the competition is already established and powerful or not.

Be patient and take your time to determine the above factors instead of rushing in unknown territory. If you are lucky, you might struggle a bit in the beginning and learn as you go. With a little less luck, you will most likely fail to go with the trend and you will fall behind.

To avoid wasting your time and effort in an unsuccessful foreign business adventure, study carefully and prepare a viable plan.

Make your business adaptable

Observing the market and understanding it will also allow your company to adapt to its differences.

Adapting is necessary for the successful integration of your business in its new market. Be they languages, symbolism, colours or messages to convey, some are not well accepted in certain cultures. As they, your company should work to blend into the cultural mould of the destination market.

The prior research that you carry out will enhance your adaptability. You will be able to both merge with the culture and offer something new to the market. This is one of the formulas for success that are perfectly calibrated to an international deployment.

 

International growth is one of the most exciting and complicated stages in a business’s life. It can open up the market and the number of consumers within the enterprise’s network. It can also be catastrophic for development if it is poorly managed. Take the time to analyse and understand the new market, its cultural codes, its competition and its consumers. As said above, your product may be the best locally, but it must adapt to succeed internationally.

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Entrepreneurship education: not limited to aspiring entrepreneurs

Over the years, start-ups have grown to become crucial to the economy of a country. Now, most professional sectors demand skills that have so far been specific to entrepreneurship. The development of digital technologies within companies has given rise to new business models that are becoming more widespread. Even traditional businesses are being forced to innovate to remain competitive. As such, gaining more knowledge about entrepreneurship is today’s dynamic professional scene can only be an advantage.

Become adaptable

Many companies initially adopted new tools in order to digitalize their offers. However, it quickly became clear that this transformation had to be done more globally. Internal processes, organizational methods, management and even the company’s culture have/had to be reinvented. With the transition to digital, the work environment becomes complex and even volatile.

As such, it is best to heighten the adaptability of their employees. To become more flexible, companies need to develop new systems and strengthen the following traits in their employees:

  • Their ability to manage uncertainty and change. Employees need to be flexible, but also strong in order to cope with uncertainty. They should be able to adapt to change and support it while being able to stay focused.
  • Their empathy and curiosity. This will enhance their creativity so that they can generate ideas that will fit with the client’s demand. In turn, satisfaction in their work and in your company’s services will also increase.
  • Their ability to work in a team and maintain good relationships. Digitalisation generates new ways of working, such as working from home. It also creates new forms of organisation in which employees have more autonomy and responsibility. However, you should still make sure that your employees maintain and/or increase their teamwork skills.

These skills correspond to the know-how developed in the creation of a start-up. They are valuable and will definitely contribute to the growth of your company.

Present possible paths

At school level, it would be best to introduce students to as many paths as possible. Even if they have no plans to open their own business later on, they will still benefit from an entrepreneurial experience. Various workshops have been recently developed for this purpose. However, they only attract aspiring entrepreneurs. Most students fail to see the advantages of developing entrepreneurship skills.

This is also representative of the gap between the demands of the professional world and the skills/expectations of fresh graduates. Indeed, most job adverts request candidates to be “creative, good at teamwork, autonomous, organised and adaptable”. On the other hand, a majority of students fail to acquire these skills at their schools/universities.

To remedy to this situation, students should allow themselves to gain as much work experience as they can. These will help them to develop crucial skills that will definitely be useful to them when they go job hunting. It will embellish their CVs and will. Companies that are hiring fresh graduates can also adapt their training methods to incorporate the development of entrepreneurial skills.

 

The intense competitive environment within the contemporary professional world, be it amongst job seekers, employees or companies, demands constant improvement. Students need to gain as many skills as they can. Employees also need to be flexible enough to cope with the changes introduced by the company to enhance its growth. As such, acquiring entrepreneurial knowledge is crucial to ride the wave of innovation and to adapt to its eventual consequences.

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4 ways to help you find balance between family and work

Finding a balance between work life and family life can be quite difficult. This is even more so the case in Mauritius, where companies do not adapt easily to certain situations. To keep top female employees within their ranks, various firms in developed countries are providing support to mothers. They offer several incentives and services to help women with their new commitments. Parents both get to take a paid year off work so as to cope with pregnancy and child care. In turn, these facilities work. The number of women who resign from their jobs decreases. Since parents feel less stressed when they are supported by their companies, they are more productive. All of these affect fellow coworkers, who feel more at ease knowing that their firm will take care of them in difficult times. Thus, they work more happily and increase their company’s financial rendition.

However, these services are not extensively provided in Mauritius. As such, parents have to make compromises to accommodate both work and family lives. Below are some steps that employees can follow to find a certain balance between these two different yet important worlds:

1. Look for flexibility

Time is essential for employees who have to look after their families. As such, they should try to get the maximum amount of time they can. Parents can ask their companies for options such as working remotely. They can also negotiate for flexible hours. These will allow them to save time that they would have spent commuting to their office. As they will be working from home, they will be more present for their families. This will in turn reduce the pressure that parents feel when they do not spend enough time with their children.

2. Take some time to relax

Many parents feel overworked since they have to take care of both their work and their home. They can get overwhelmed by this sentiment as they worry about being able to cope. This stress impacts on their mood and a bad mood can be detrimental to both the family and work. Taking some time to relax is therefore crucial. The amount of time that parents spend with their children is already limited. It should not be made worse with bitterness due to stress.

3. Get support and help

Women are often confronted with an impossible list of tasks that they have to complete within 24 hours. Taking the help of their partner is sure to decrease their amount of work and improve their efficiency and mood. Single parents face the same issue. Relying on other family members and on friends is another option. The more help one can get, the easier it is to find a balance between family life and work life.

4. Save money

Working parents can reduce their expenses by getting rid of expensive items that they do not need. By doing so, they will feel less pressured by debts and other financial concerns. Some may even find it more practical to switch to a part-time job following a decrease in monetary pressure. As such, they will get more time to spend with their families. This will in turn lead them to maintain the healthy balance that they are looking for.

 

As seen above, maintaining a full-time job while being present at home as a parent is not impossible. If companies begin to increase the support that they offer to parents, finding a balance between work and family will surely become easier.

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Mistakes to avoid when creating a start-up

A significant percentage of businesses that are created these days are start-ups. These small businesses often stem from brilliant ideas and proceed to develop rapidly.

Launching a start-up requires a lot of fore-thought and preparation. Yet, it is not uncommon for young entrepreneurs to find themselves facing problems that they could have avoided.

Here are some mistakes to avoid when creating a start-up.

  1. Not creating a business plan

Most people become impatient when they think they have found “the right idea”. While understandable, it is recommended that you take the time to plan your project and an accompanying budget.

Creating a business plan is an essential step in ensuring the sustainability of your project. Some start-ups need substantial funds to grow, which makes it very important to keep track of all monetary transactions.

  1. Not adapting to changes

It is very common for things to not go as planned. This is especially the case when launching a business; even more so when doing it for the first time.

The mistake an entrepreneur might make in this case is to stick to the original plan. Changing your strategy can be a matter of survival for your business.

  1. Not taking the first step to launch the product

Striving for perfection, while not a bad thing per se, can be greatly hamper the progression of your business. In other words, wanting your product to be fully developed before it is launched can have serious consequences.

To avoid this mistake, you should favour communication and launch your project. Rather than keeping your innovative idea hidden as you perfect it, it is better to launch a basic version. You will have time to tweak the details later.

  1. Not seeking assistance

Few start-ups are supported by a single person. Often, several skills are needed: research & development, fundraising, communication, marketing, etc…

Working with a team will keep you motivated, even in difficult times. Also, it will be easier to gain financial support as concerned organisations usually prefer teams to solo projects.

  1. Not asking for advice

 

Sometimes, just your opinion and your expertise with regards to your project are not enough.

Be it for the design of your project or for the legal aspects related to your activity, seek expert advice. Lawyers, experienced entrepreneurs and even strangers will tell you the weak points of your business and how to overcome them.

  1. Not making involved people sign a non-disclosure agreement

This is not about trust, it is about common sense.

Many projects meet their end because their competitors get wind of certain crucial elements. Product innovation, marketing approach, partnerships and many other parts of your business should be confidential.

Ask each member of your start-up, and each participant in your project, to sign a non-disclosure agreement.

  1. Not protecting your personal assets

Finally, it is advisable to separate your personal assets from your business assets.

Pay special attention when choosing your company’s status. In case of financial problems, you and your family will be safe.

As long as you go about launching your business in a careful and smart way, you will not experience problems. In case of uncertainty, you should not hesitate to seek advice and support from your family, friends and professionals.

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The road to entrepreneurship: 5 obstacles and their solutions

Great business ideas often come alongside various difficulties to get started. Becoming independent does have an impact on a person’s way of living. Those who work in a company often end up facing a radical change in their lifestyles.

However, if the project really matters to you and could eventually develop into a flourishing business, it would be a shame not to attempt the adventure. Below are some common obstacles that aspiring entrepreneurs face, including the ways to overcome them.

 

  1. Lack of time

The most common reason that people cite as a barrier to their aspirations is the lack of time.

It is true that the process to create a business is time consuming. Developing the idea, creating a business plan, finding an economic model, asking quotes from potential suppliers… All of these take a certain amount of time that most people do not have, especially employees.

There are several ways to work around this problem:

Getting up early in the morning and/or going to bed later in the evening to work on your project before and after work can be helpful. Use to-do list applications to organize your tasks and maximize your efficiency.

Try to see if your company will enable you to take a few days off to start a new activity. If that is not possible, you can consider part-time working options.

On a more drastic note, you may want to discuss your project with your spouse or partner. The decision to live on a single salary while you develop your business is a hard one to make. It still remains a viable option despite requiring you to make certain sacrifices. As the saying goes, time is money, and this leads us to our second point.

 

  1. Fear of financial insecurity

Setting up your own business often means that you will not receive as salary much for several months. All the money that you have and that you will make will be spent on your project. Sales can also be unstable after the launch. In the end, your source of revenue will most probably not be as comfortable as a fixed salary.

However, financial aids are available to the supporters of a project. Various sponsors can provide you with monetary support and incubators can assist you with this problem.

Also, remember that earning less in the beginning is normal for any start-up. The purpose of a business is to earn more money than you could have done in your nine-to-five job. Of course, it also has other advantages, such as independence, freedom, fulfilment, pride…

  1. Lack of money

Contrary to popular belief, opening a business does not necessarily require an absurd amount of money. Depending on the sector or type of the business, some start-ups can even be launched with Rs.0. This is possible if you choose to work on a project which does not require much material input. You can also work with recycled or second-hand items in the beginning.

With careful planning, you can also save enough money to launch your business comfortably. If you are currently working and earn a salary, you can begin amassing your capital now. If need be, you might also wish to reduce outing, holiday or shopping costs.

 

  1. Fear of loneliness

Many people shy away from entrepreneurship due to the loneliness that they associate to independence. However, you do not have to be alone if you do not want to!

There are various ways in which you can get assistance and friends to accompany you as you launch your business. Between incubators, co-working spaces and group rentals, you can work with other entrepreneurs and expand your professional network.

Take part in events such as conferences, expos or fairs to meet people outside of your home or workplace.

Finally, your family and friends will undoubtedly support you and keep you company. Starting a business doesn’t mean that you have to forget your social life.

 

  1. Fear of self-management

You will be the sole master of your schedule, yes. This means, for many people, that you will be very prone to distractions.

The television in your living room will constantly try to lure you away from work. You will miss the sun and will want to take your time to walk in the park. Your friends will want to come and see you on their holidays. The list is admittedly non-exhaustive.

If you are not a natural at organisation and if you do not know how to say no (to your friends or to your desires), then do not work from home. Go to co-working spaces so as to stay focused. You can also use a calendar or to-do list app to keep track of what you need to do during the day.

In any case, self-management will come naturally when your schedule is filled. You will have no choice but to hold the deadlines.

 

The five obstructions mentioned above are not the complete list of factors that prevent people from thinking about entrepreneurship. Many other aspects can dissuade an aspiring entrepreneur to continue down this path. Still, all problems have a variety of solutions that can be applied according to circumstances. If you want to open your own business and are experiencing difficulties, do not lose hope. There is bound to be a way to overcome your hurdles and reach your goal.

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Entrepreneurs & freelancers: 4 strategies to maintain creativity and productivity

Flexible working hours, no boss, no colleagues to distract you… There are many arguments that a freelancer can put forward to detail the advantages of his job. While being your own boss has its perks, maintaining both creativity and productivity every day is not an easy feat.

You may control your creativity and express it the way you want, but no one keeps you on track. Nobody makes sure that deadlines are met, a factor which might work against you. Indeed, it might make getting the job done difficult for some. To solve this problem, you can refer to the four strategies listed below. They may help you to find the perfect balance between productivity and creativity.

 

1. Devise and follow daily schedules

Time management is key to remaining effective as a freelancer/entrepreneur. However, this is not an easy skill to master. Most experienced professionals have had or still have trouble with time management. This is why they employ secretaries to whom they entrust this task.

For beginners, secretaries may not be an option. It is therefore up to you to manage your time and plan your projects.

To maintain a certain discipline and remain productive during your days, set schedules. Of course, you can define them according to your personal requirements and rhythm. However, for the progress of your business, it is essential to work at least 8 hours per day.

 

2. Organise your work

Blogging, web design, community management … Freelancers sometimes have to work for several clients at once, with different jobs for each of them.

Divide your tasks in terms of categories instead of clients and assign a time zone to each of them. For example, you can keep three hours to write articles, two for community management and three for web design. This way, your brain stays focused on a single task rather than on several at once.

 

3. Begin with the hardest work

For maximum efficiency, start your work day with the most difficult tasks. Working on high-concentration jobs is more time-consuming in the afternoon than earlier.

Indeed, you have more energy in the morning, after several hours of sleep. Beginning with the hardest tasks is therefore best for your productivity. Your creativity will also benefit from this type of planning since your day will be optimised.

 

4. Automate your finances

Choosing to be your own boss also requires you to be your own accountant. It can sometimes be frustrating to spend hours billing clients and making advance payments. After all, you could be using this time to focus on your job. However, it is important to keep your accounting up to date since your pay depends on it.

You can decrease the time taken to calculate finances by using online tools and apps. Designing templates for quotes, bills and e-mails, amongst others, can also be time saving.

 

As mentioned above, these solutions are not set in stone; you can adapt them according to own needs and purposes. It is, however, important to remember that to be creative, you need enough time to dedicate to your projects.

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