The Weekly Schedule is a crucial resource for any business owner. Whether you’re a seasoned entrepreneur or just starting a side hustle, time is the most valuable resource you have. No matter what stage of business you are at, it’s important to consider how your personal life fits with your business responsibilities. We recommend using our Weekly Schedule to help find that balance.
We know it can be overwhelming and even sometimes debilitating to understand how to prioritize your time, but the Weekly Schedule is a great tool to help you visualize your week and make the most of your days. While you may be naturally driven and hardworking, there are still only twenty-four hours in a day, and seven days in a week. That is a total of 168 hours per week to work AND rest AND spend time with friends and family. Ultimately, it is up to you how you manage your time, and as an entrepreneur, no one else will tell you how to do so.
How to Use the Weekly Schedule
Building a schedule and sticking to it can be challenging but it’s important to create structure and carve out time throughout the day. To get started, imagine an average week and consider where you spend your time. Using the drop down feature, choose from one of the five categories: Family, Friends, Self, Sleep or Work. Be sure to account for every hour in your day as best as possible.
These categories are very broad but should help give you an idea of where you’re spending your time. We recommend starting out with these categories so you don’t get bogged down in the details and can see the bigger picture. Remember, we’re striving for balance! As you get more comfortable with the schedule, feel free to get more detailed and personalize it to you.
Once you’ve completed your weekly outlook, you can actually see “where the day has gone”, by looking at the colors that automatically correspond to each category, or by looking at the summary in Part 2. (Shown below)
Do you notice anything surprising about your schedule? Are you spending all your time at work and not enough time sleeping?
Finally, you’ll notice the summary section has a line for ‘Other’ that will catch any labels that do not coincide with the five categories. Below the total hours you have accounted for, you’ll see a line for ‘Hours left to fill,’ showing how many hours in the day are not assigned to a specific category. Don’t stress; it is okay to have a few extra hours in this category to use as flexible time. Remember, this tool is designed to guide you, not restrict you.
Whether you’re just starting a business or getting ready to hire your first employee, the weekly schedule is a great tool to effectively allocate your time. As your business grows and evolves, your role and time commitments will change as well, so it’s helpful to get in the habit of being intentional with your resources.
Are you ready to get started? While this may not be a tool you master in an hour, we hope you revisit it and continue to build on it over time. The Weekly Schedule is designed to help you see the big picture and find balance in your days. If you need a little extra guidance, don’t hesitate to reach out to your VtSBDC business advisor.
Looking for more? Check out our resources page or reach out to your regional advisor!
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