The challenges associated with a home-based business are magnified when it comes to time management. The techniques remain virtually the same, but the business clock at home is based on 24 hours, not the traditional 9-5 (although even in the non-home-based business 9-5 no longer is traditional either!).

Here are some tips for you to implement in your business:

Set long-term goals for your personal life and your business. Be certain that the goals reflect you and not those out of a book. They need to originate from you. Make sure they are measurable, attainable and specific so that you can manage your progress on a day-to- day basis. To do this you will need specific tools for managing yourself (personal organizer, computer and sufficient work/file space).

Focus on projects that you know will provide long-term benefits. These are activities and programs that will help your business both today and tomorrow. If you are focused on the desired outcome, your efforts will not be wasted. The impact of your focus will be the ability to control extemporaneous events.

Make a to-do list daily. Actually, this list should be a done list. In reality this is the challenge—be sure to assemble your to-do list on a daily basis with a commitment to actually get it done on the date for which the list appears. The best time of the day to plan the to-do list is at the end of the day, enabling you to make your priority commitments at a time of the day during which you are least likely to be interrupted.

Concentrate your activities on one thing at a time; you will only be able to do this if your workspace and mind are free from clutter. A cluttered workspace makes this task impossible. The ability to do this enables the strongest opportunity for profitable productivity.

Delegate everything you can to others. Sounds difficult, especially when you are working from your home. The reality is you have several choices for delegation. Find people capable of assisting your business and learn to utilize their skills. In the case of your business, this will provide the maximum opportunity to duplicate your role in your business and therefore generate the most profitable sales for you. The trick to delegation will be your responsibility to follow-through with the people you’ve delegated to. If they recognize your commitment to meet deadlines, then they will most likely respond on a timely basis.

Set up "availability hours" and "quiet time." This is both for family and clients. Both will respect your schedule if they know you are busy. Consider blocking out 11:00 am to 12 noon daily to return calls—make this message known on your voice mail. The perception to people you do business with is that you are busy—this will have lasting value to your business relationships. The perception to your family, if given a specific time as to availability, will be to respect mommy or daddy’s workspace as official.

Learn to say "no" constructively. The task here is for you to learn to be comfortable with not having to say yes to every request that comes your way. Saying "no" is certainly a challenge, but the impact on your time will be most favorable. If said in a way that communicates courtesy and respect, the results on your business will be favorable as well. The difficulty in saying no is in your having to understand what might be important to the other person. With this knowledge, your effective response might be "sure, I’d be happy to do that, but…" What follows the "but" is your challenge.

Remember not to plan more than 60% of your day. This will allow you plenty of time for adjustments resulting from interruptions or crises.

Give yourself time off as a special reward when you’ve accomplished important tasks or objectives. You will need to be the first person to pat yourself on the back. Make time off, even if it is for an hour or two, a special reward. You need relaxation, and if you can tie it to accomplishing something in your business then you will gain the sense of achievement and greater self-esteem needed to go on to the next major task/activity.

Do it now. Don’t waste time procrastinating. Focus on what needs to get done, be sure you know why it’s important and JUST DO IT!