We have a problem with waste in today’s society. An entire industry has arisen around creating apps to whittle away our free time and distract us from the task at hand. When you work for an employer, a little wasted time here and there might be harmless. We all appreciate that extended bathroom break (and comprehensive social media catch up) on company time. However, when you’re a freelancer or run a home-based business, however, time is money. Your money. Your ability to manage your time efficiently will determine your success or failure, especially in a competitive field. If you’ve just started to forge your own path in the world of freelancing, congratulations, I wish you every success. Just beware of time-wasting black holes which can eat into your productivity, and eventually your profits!

There are many, but here are three time-wasters to avoid:

The wrong clients

Not all time wasting is a result of idleness or poor time management. A lot of a freelancer’s time can be wasted chasing those same two or three clients again and again for payment. We keep accepting work for them assuming that this time it will be different, this time they will have their act together. Unfortunately, a bad relationship with a client is like any other bad relationship. By all means, give the other party an opportunity to change, but if they consistently show an unwillingness to do so, they have to go! As reluctant as you may be to turn down paid work, you and your business deserve better. Bad clients will never grow your business; in fact, they can stifle it.

Assuming you can do everything by yourself

Even if you’re a one-woman business, this doesn’t mean that you’re entirely on your own. Whatever the nature of your business, there’s a whole lot of support out there for you. Some of it may require an upfront or ongoing investment, but it can also ensure your productivity and improve your quality of life while helping you to make more money. Whether you’re investing in a marketing firm to boost your online presence, managed IT services and support or your HR function to make sure that your employees properly managed, you owe it to your business and yourself to get expert support when you need it. Sure you’re super-talented and may be able to do everything yourself, but that rarely means that you should.

The lure of the Internet

Most freelancers spend most (or all) of their time at a computer. With this comes a particular set of distractions. With the sum total of all available knowledge at your fingertips, there are many rabbit holes that you can fall into and get lost in. Or, you could just waste hours playing Candy Crush Saga or Solitaire. Install a desktop app to inhibit your use of time-wasting sites and keep your smart or iPhone in a drawer or another room. If creative block strikes, take a short walk outside. The change of scenery will be far more inspiring than scrolling through your social media feed, or worse, someone else’s.

You’re an entrepreneur now. You determine the amount of revenue coming in. However, you also play a huge role in what monies go out. Be mindful of being the one responsible for any wasteful dollars.

*May contain affiliate links