When working as a manager in the corporate world I was often asked by my staff, “what do you do all day?”
They saw me coming in to the office early. They saw me leave the office late. I was often not at my desk.
So I can understand the question.
Now I have left the corporate world and I run my own small business I now get asked the same question by friends.
So I thought what I would do is simply make a note of what I do whie running my small business.
This is what I did last Monday:
6 AM Got up.
6:30 AM Gym. A one-hour workout, lifting weights.
8 AM Breakfast with my wife.
8:30 AM Liaised with my outsourcer and looked at and replied to all e-mails.
9 AM Commented on other blog posts.
9:15 AM Worked on a new small business site for a new client.
10 AM Coffee break and I also had some fruit.
10:15 AM Continued to work on new site client.
11:45 AM Business finances. I like to spend 15 minutes each day keeping my business finances up-to-date.
Midday. 15 minutes replying to Tweets.
12:15 PM 15 minutes on Facebook.
12:30 PM Lunch with my wife.
1:15 PM More client work
2:15 PM Liaised with my outsourcer to create a new banner for my blog.
2:30 PM Created a new blog post.
3 PM Personal one-on-one client call.
4 PM Quick break and some fruit.
4:15 PM Created two new blog posts. That’s my blog posts written for the week!
5 PM Published one of the new blog posts on my site.
5:15 PM Commented on other blog posts.
5:30 PM Had business chat with my business partner Joel.
5.45 PM Touched base with my outsourcer.
6 PM Looked at and replied to all e-mails.
6:30 PM Got ready to go out.
7 PM Dinner with friends.
That was a long day and as you can see I am doing a fair amount of client work. The amount of client work I do each day does obviously depend upon the amount of client work I have on my books.
This is what I did last Tuesday:
6 AM Got up
6:30 AM Gym. Today was running!
8 AM Breakfast with my wife
8:30 AM Liaised with my outsourcer and looked at and replied to all e-mails
9 AM Renewed some domains that I own
9:15 AM Joined Daniel Scocco’s Facebook club. The club helps its members get more exposure and traffic from Facebook. More details can be found here:
Want More Traffic from Facebook?
9:30 AM 15 minutes replying to Tweets.
9:45 AM 15 minutes on Facebook
10 AM Coffee break and I also had some fruit.
10:15 AM Client work
11:15 AM Business finances.
11:30 Wrote a guest post, which is now published:
Why Should Small Business Owners Blog?
12:30 PM Lunch with my wife
1:15 PM Re-vamped my Blogging Services pages. What do you think, do you like it:
2:15 PM Touched base with my outsourcer.
2:30 PM Took my daughter to the airport as she was going to Spain for a modelling assignment.
6 PM. Dinner with my wife.
6:30 PM Looked at and replied to all e-mails.
7 PM Commented on other blog posts.
7:15 PM TV and bed!
A more relaxed day for me.
Running my blogging business from home enables me to have the freedom to do things when I want to.
Some working days are long…some are short. Some days I work all day, others I do my own thing.
To a certain degree I can choose when I want to work and that’s a luxury of running your own small business.
Are you surprized at what I do?
What do you do?
Please share your views in the comments below.
Andrew is a website builder and helps small businesses with their on-line presence…so they can grow their customer list and increase sales. That’s it! That’s what we do each and every day.
Now that’s a pretty amazing day! Mine’s a little less scheduled, a little more nonstop. Having breaks would be a nice luxury. Even having a schedule would be a luxury! Soon-to-be toddlers in the house sort of take the day and turn it on its ear, however. =) Still, I manage to get things done.
Delena
Delena
I’m sure if I had toddlers around the house it would be much different!
My kids are now 21 and 23!
Andrew
Hey man! I liked your schedule. A full and productive one. I am gratefull that I too, as a full time blogger, can have the luxury to eat with my wife and spend time together. I know that modern couples communicate throught notes on the fridge and they wish Friday evening came sooner in order to have two days for themselves: it sucks. My schedule is similar to yours but set 5 hours later. We tend to go to bed and wake up quite late, you know Greeks I guess. I like starting my day with a small walk, enjoy spring’s flavours, doing some breathing and thinking. Then I take breakfast with my wife and get to blogging (guest post writing, finding topics to write about, commenting into my favourite blogs and answering e-mails) untill lunch is ready at 3pm. Sometimes I take a half hour nap and the rest is similar to the first half of the day, only instead of a walk I go for an intense run at 7pm. Supper at 9pm, crash at 1am
Steven,
Again, it sounds like you do what you want to do and you have the freedom to do it.
When I worked in the corporate world, I was living away most of the week and that’s hard.
I don’t think I could ever go back to that way of life.
Andrew
Hello Andrew, you are truly a god of effective working and not slacking. I think my schedule would be something like:
Procrastinating
doing some work
procrastinating some more
work
work
yet more procrastinating
You have to write a blogpost on how to keep your schedule in check and how to be as effective as you!
Alex,
I set daily and weekly targets – that focuses me to get things done.
Great idea for a blog post – thanks.
Andrew
My friends ask me what I do, I often don’t work straight through, but I usually work around the same amount of hours as you. My family and friends don’t understand what I could be doing all that time. When I look at their day I wonder how there not putting more time into work.
John,
…and the days fly by.
Sad to say but I actually like work!
Sounds like you do as well.
Andrew
Impressive to say the least, there’s no way I could chop anything to 25 minute intervals.
Dennis,
Try it!
For 15 minutes ONLY…reply to comments, or RT some posts or…
At the end of the 15 minutes…STOP!
Got on to something else.
It feels good.
Andrew
I actually have schedule going, and it is a lot more commenting. 😉
Yeeah! I am bit surprised! You’re day is a lot more of pleasure than work! Love it! I envy you now! 😀 As for me, though I worked 8hrs a day at home, I am not stressed compared to when I was working on a company.
Aybi,
I agree my days are pretty stress free these days compared to working for large corporates.
I still put a lot of energy into my work – I have to…I like to ‘wow’ my cleitns as often as I can.
Andrew
Hi Andrew
Very impressive and you are so disciplined!!! I spend way more time networking and commenting on blogs LOL
Also, I don’t have clients so mine is more to do with customers and as some is off-line that can’t really be scheduled. If somone calls or pops in to buy then that is definitely the priority for me.
This schedule obviously works for you which is great. I have my to-do list and trying to stay more focused.
Patricia Perth Australia
Patrcia
We all work differently. If I had less client work…the scheudle would be different.
These were just 2 days.
Today I just spent the last 2 hours trying to resolve a duplicant content problem on this site!
Andrew
Working on my own has been wonderful. Much less stress than when I worked for a fortune 500 company. Much more satisfaction as well.
Chi
You took the words right out of my mouth!
Andrew
You are living a busy online life. I have not make any schedule and decide on spot what to do?
Anyhow, I enjoyed working for long hours on my business.
nazimwarriach
With that approach do you not waste a lot of time?
Just curious.
Andrew
I am a small business blogger, so for me it is especially interesing to read this blog post and find out what people like me prefer to do in their every day life. It is obvious that successful bloggers have more freedoom! Also, it this post I have found out a lot of helpful things which I am going to include in my blog development strategy! Thanks a lot!
Terje
I am lucky to have the freedom I have. I still work hard but I can choose when to work and that is pure luxury.
Andrew
Hi Andrew,
Wow, that sure is a lot of things to do in a single day. But I am glad that you get to have free time come 7 p.m. That really is quite admirable, you having a schedule that works so well and it seems like you don’t have time to procrastinate. I can’t reply to comments within 15 minutes..it really is amazing you can do that.
Felicia
The ’15 minute rule’ works really well for me.
Just do something for 15 minutes and then STOP. Go onto the next thing.
You will be amazed at what you can achieve in 15 minutes.
Target to write 7 blog comments…go on!
Andrew
You’re a pretty quick and efficient worker, I’d say. What I found most surprising is how quickly you’re able to write new blog posts. How long does it take you, on average?
I also think it’s great that you make time to work out every morning. In my opinion, it’s the best start to the day, hands down!
Petra
I love the morning workout – it is now a habit!
Re: Blog writing.
It really depends upon the subject. Sometimes, the words just flow and it might only take 10 – 15 minutes.
Others can take hours!
Andrew
Andrew,
Thank you for sharing your daily schedule with us. It just shows, that 4-hour work week doesn’t exist and you have to work hard if you want to be a successful entrepreneur 🙂
Timo
I’ve never been able to achieve the 4-hour work week…not even the 4-hour work day!
Some days of course are only 4 hours working or less.
My problem is…I do love work.
Andrew
My man loves fruit and the gym! Good for you. I just hope that breakfast didnt consist of chocolate biscuts.