An Awesome Time Management Trick for Running Your Fashion Business

a time management trick

I know I’ve written about time management in the past because, honestly, it’s something that I am always looking to improve for myself with StartUp FASHION. So when I learn something new, I love to share it.

Well, a few weeks ago I learned something new. I’ve  been testing it, and am in love. It’s a pretty basic concept but it is seriously a time management trick I don’t think I’ll be able to do without from this point forward.

Assign Certain Sectors of Your Business to Certain Days of the Week.

Here’s how it works:

  1. Decide on the parts of your business that are absolutely essential for you to handle. They probably are: Marketing, Public Relations, Sales (buyer outreach), Product Development, Operations
  2. Then assign each of those sectors to a day of the week. Monday is Marketing, Tuesday is Operations, etc.
  3. Stick to the schedule.

I know, I know, you’re not impressed. But even though it’s super simple, it really works. Here’s why:

When you’re a small business, you are handling almost everything. It’s incredibly easy to feel completely overwhelmed and find that your attention is split among several different needs.

So when you assign this various needs to a certain day each week, you start each day with a clear idea of what you plan to work on and don’t allow yourself to try and multi task. Each day has so much focus.

I don’t know about you, but I struggle with the “oh jeez, I must address this immediately, as in this very second” syndrome. So I’m going about my work day and I either have brilliant new idea or I realize that something can be improved and should be addressed. Instead of making a note, I allow myself to get distracted by this and lose focus on what I was doing. The next thing I know, I’m breathing into a brown paper bag (actually, I don’t think I’ve ever really done that) and freaking out about everything I have to do.

Well not anymore friends. Now, I say OK, that’s a marketing thing. Let me add it to my Marketing Task List and address it on Monday. The day I handle marketing.

I cannot tell you the sense of relief, organization, and calm I feel when I do this.

When I can wrap this task into a box and put it away, knowing without a doubt that I will take care of it on its assigned day, it’s not the same thing as “I’ll deal with it later.” It’s totally different. It lets me breath a sigh of relief.

You may be skeptical. That’s cool. I was too.  I assigned my business sectors to a day of the week and then printed it out and taped it to the wall in front of my desk. I challenge you to consider it.

The difference in the way I run this business is phenomenal. Try it.
Image via paval hadzinski

Nicole Giordano

Nicole is the founder of StartUp FASHION, an online resource and community supporting for independent designers around the world with building their businesses. A deep love for the craft of fashion paired with an adamant belief that success is defined by the individual, led her to found StartUp FASHION, where she helps independent designers and makers screw the traditional fashion business rules, create their own paths, and build businesses they truly love. More than anything else, she’s in the business of encouragement and works every day to remind makers and designers that they have something special to offer the world and that they can, in fact, do this thing!

6 comments
  1. Justina

    This sounds great I will try it .this looks like something I need at this time.

  2. Ruth Onyugwu

    Great post,Nicole!!!
    So excited!!
    Will definitely give it a trial 🙂
    thanks!!

  3. Kim S.

    Great post Nicole. I like the idea of setting aside a specific day for a specific task. I am going to try it…I will let you know how it goes!

    • Nicole Giordano

      Glad to hear that! I really love the approach. I’ve made the wallpaper of my laptop an image of the days and what to work on for each day. That way, it’s with me all the time. 🙂

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