102 – How I structure my day to run TWO businesses

Following on from a previous podcast about what I learned from launching SEOHive (ep 99), Kyle asked me to share a little more about how I balance the stresses and strains (and even just to workload) of running two businesses in my schedule.

The process/system I have in place a few things I need to rely on: 

1. Awesome teams – people I can trust
   
2. SOPs
   
3. A rhythm/flow to my day/week
   
4. Discipline to stick to it.
   

The Process

I use a mixture of calendar blocking and a ClickUp board with a weekly plan to manage my time and tasks

• Calendar blocking syncs with Calendly so it makes life easier for me to control when appointments can be made.
  
• To begin with, the calendar blocking has time blocked out for SO…, SEOHive, Podcast, Management
  • 3 days are 50 / 50 SO… in the morning and SEOHive in the afternoon
    
  • The other 2 days are 25% SO…, SEOHive, Podcast, and Management
    

After MUCH trial and error, I found my best working hours are 9am to 5pm – it fits in with School and Family so well, and I’m not a pleasant person if I wake up at 5am every day (it’s great for you if you are, but it’s not for me!)

My ClickUp board has the following columns

• Priorities
  
• Monday
  
• Tuesday
  
• Wednesday
  
• Thursday
  
• Friday
  
• With Someone Else
  
• Complete
  

Every FRIDAY I plan out the week ahead. This means:

1. I alter some of the generic “pre” blocks in my diary to actual events
   
2. I assign work tasks to every day for next week based on the priorities that are in the “Priorities” Column
   
3. I never fill every day so I can still handle things like email etc.
   

A day in the life of Pete (this really isn’t that gripping!)

This is how a day stacks up:

• Arrive at work -> put the coffee on (I’m a coffee lover – it’s my thing).
  
• Check Banks / Financials for both companies. Action anything that needs doing.
  
• Check Email:
  • Do / Delegate / Delete
    
• By 10am start my morning calendar blocks, working through the items in ClickUp).
  
• 12:30 break for lunch
  
• 1:15pm – Check Emails
  • Do / Delegate / Delete
    
• By 1:45pm Start my Afternoon calendar blocks
  
• 4:30 – Check everything that needed to go today has been sent
  
• 4:45 – Check priorities/plan for tomorrow
  
• 5pm – finish
  • Unless I have an SEOHive Team meeting, which then happens and I finish at 6…
    

Boring it may be, but it works… 

Do you have a granular structure to your day? Jump in the group and tell me what it is!

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