When you are determined to become your own boss, there are many options to undertake: from starting a business from scratch to selling by catalog or MLM, becoming a distributor or representative, producing items under a license agreement, and even buying a franchise.

The advantages of becoming independent are many: working in what you really like, aiming for greater economic growth, getting away from the routine of an office job and, if you can work from home, avoid the stress caused by the traffic of big cities. .

But be careful, having your own company does not mean that you can get up late, take vacations whenever you want and do all those personal activities that were impossible before.

It is a mistake that many novice entrepreneurs fall into, so learning to organize our time becomes a fundamental task.

The biggest challenge faced by those who work independently is respecting time spent on work and family. To achieve a balance between your personal and work life there are certain keys that you must follow, and success will depend on the discipline, responsibility and organization that you apply in your daily activities.

It is a difficult task, but not impossible. Follow these five tips and avoid making frustration and failure part of your story.

1 Define a schedule.

It doesn't matter if you decide to work with the same office hours or more flexibly. You need to manage an agenda and establish when you will work to prepare projects or presentations, answer emails, make calls, meet with your collaborators or to visit suppliers and clients.

In order for you to work efficiently and to achieve your goals, it is important that you communicate what your work hours will be to your contacts, family and friends. This way, everyone will know what time and where to reach you, and your professional and personal life will not get mixed up.

During your work hours, focus on your tasks. Although it is a great temptation, do not waste time on calls and personal activities, such as watching videos on the Internet.


2 Work for objectives.

Even if you no longer have a boss to whom you are accountable, don't forget that the success of your venture is in your hands. Therefore, to achieve the expected results, you must set yourself a list of objectives with measurable results and established compliance times.

Take half an hour every day to draw up a work plan for the next day, and keep a record of all the activities you did and those that were pending.

Also, evaluate yourself constantly: review your annual results on a monthly basis, monthly on a weekly basis and weekly on a daily basis.

When planning the activities for the next day, put the most important and the most difficult ones first. Thus, by prioritizing your to-dos, you will end the day with less pressure.

Never leave out activities that involve your customers, such as calls, visits or buying merchandise. Another tip: answer your email in the morning and in the afternoon, before the end of the working day.


3 Hire services by outsourcing.

Although at the beginning an entrepreneur must do everything, if possible resort to outsourcing services to delegate responsibilities and, above all, gain time and quality in your work.

For example, a receptionist, a courier, a salesperson or a web designer who is in charge of keeping your page updated will allow you to focus on essential tasks, such as developing a new product or service.

The advantage of outsourcing is that you can pay by the hour of work or even commissions, tied to results.

Take advantage of technology.

Today there are many tools on the market to save time and keep you in touch at all times with your customers and suppliers.

First of all, explore the programs you already have on your computer: for example, the Outlook you use to check your email has a very good schedule of activities. Or look for free alternatives, like Google Calendar (www.google.com/calendar).

In terms of devices, a smartphone or...