Time Drains In Your Online Business

A Time  Drain  is  something that takes more time than it should. It’s often a task that started small, but continued to expand. Now you’ve just accepted it as part of your everyday routine.

If you’ve ever heard yourself say “it’s just too much!” then you understand the importance of identifying and eliminating time drains in your online business. There are two major categories that generally account for many of your time drains: sites and tools.

Time Drain #1: Too Many Websites

It starts small. You buy a domain. You set up hosting for it. You add a blog. You add a few plugins. You add some content.

You buy another domain. You add hosting, a blog, a few plugins, some content. You repeat this a few more times. Or a few hundred more times.

An update for WordPress comes out— and you have to update all of your blogs! A plugin announces a “fix” with an update—and you have to update the plugin on all of your sites

Yes, tools like Plugin Dashboard can help, but you still need to log in, run the update, then check to be sure everything is okay, then go to the next blog.

Meanwhile, there are comments to be approved or rejected and/or responded to. There are passwords to change.

Fix #1

Make a list of every domain you own. Next to it add the purpose for that

domain. In the next column note the revenue generated from that domain.

If it’s not selling a product, building a list, or generating revenue – why do you have it?

If you have decided to get rid of it, remove it from your server now so that it saves the time and hassle of updates.

If you’re not sure you’re ready to get rid of it, at least go to your domain registrar and turn off automatic renewal. That way you will have another chance to look at it as the renewal comes due.

Fix #2

As you receive those renewal notices from your registrar, review each domain name. Are you using it? If not, get rid of it.

I know. It’s painful. Because it’s not just saying goodbye to the domain name, but it’s also saying goodbye to the “great idea” that was the reason you bought the domain.

But consider this—it’s costing you money to procrastinate. If you haven’t taken action on that idea until now, what are the chances you will take action in the coming year?

Time Drain #2: Too Many Tools

In a related article you took inventory of your Online Assets – specifically your tools. Now that you’ve looked at them, you can probably see that you have too many.

For each tool you use you spend time learning it, figuring out how best to  use it in  your  business,  and  keeping it updated. You’ve invested time and money in that tool.

Look for ways you can pare down the number of tools you use. Not only will you save the money buying the tools, but you’ll save time learning them and time staying up-to-date with the tools.

When you pay attention to these two major time drains and take the actions necessary to reduce them, you’ll find a corresponding amount of time and energy you can add to your online business. Reduce YOUR Time Drains today!

This same  common  sense  approach  is what you’ll find in my best-selling course on how to Organize Your Online Business.  You’ll  experience the same ah-ha moments  and  clarity  as you go through  each  of  the  areas of your business highlighted in the Organization system.