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How to optimize your calendar as a self-employed person

Good calendar management is essential for anyone who is self-employed, because it directly affects your productivity and the development of your business. With excellent organization, you get things done faster, manage your priorities better, and create more opportunities for growth. This article shows you how to do it with effective tools and easy-to-apply tips. <h2>The benefits of good calendar management</h2> Organizing your calendar effectively allows you to accomplish everything you're already doing... but in less time! It's every entrepreneur's dream, right? The benefits of a well-organized schedule will be felt in your daily life. Your efficiency and <a href="https://www.momenteo.com/blog/how-to-be-more-productive.com/blogue/comment-etre-plus-productif">productivity</a> will increase, because optimized scheduling helps you better prioritize your tasks and reduce wasted time. You'll have a better understanding of your tasks and deadlines. If we look at the larger scale, optimizing your schedule could also allow you to increase your revenue. Efficient organization helps you complete tasks faster, freeing up time to onboard new clients or work on more projects. This means more opportunities for your business to grow, while maintaining a balanced workload. Can you really attain this? Of course! By equipping yourself with the right tools and following the tips in this article, you will see that it is not that difficult to be well organized. <h2>Practical tips to optimize your schedule</h2> The first step to optimizing your schedule is to know what you need to work on. Write your to-do list and assign each one a priority level. Also determine their approximate duration. Some tasks, such as sending follow-up emails, invoicing or scheduling appointments, can be automated with the right tools. By reducing the time spent on these repetitive tasks, you can focus on more challenging activities. To improve your efficiency, focus on one task at a time. Set aside blocks of hours in your calendar and stick to them to accomplish what's planned without distractions. Plus, you'll save valuable time by grouping similar small tasks into one slot instead of spreading them out over the week.  One last must-have to optimize your calendar: prepare your schedule! Take some time at the beginning of the week or month to define which blocks of hours will be spent on which projects. Moreover, if some tasks are recurring, you can schedule them automatically using one of the software tools listed in the rest of the article. This will allow you to keep control of your schedule while minimizing forgetfulness. <h2>4 tools to optimize your calendar management</h2> <h3>Calendly</h3> This software is very useful for all professionals who have to juggle various appointments every day. You can connect a maximum of six calendars to it, and Calendly will take care of adjusting your availability in real time. Has a visit to the mechanic or a medical appointment been added to your day unexpectedly? No customer will be able to book a meeting with you at this time. This feature reduces the risk of scheduling conflicts and allows you to focus on your priorities without unnecessary interruptions. You can also schedule emails and texts to remind your client of your meeting before the appointment begins and even follow up after the appointment! Calendly offers several integrations to make your business operations run smoother. So, you can use it with Google and Microsoft suites, Zoom, PayPal, Mailchimp, Slack, and many more. Pros <ul> <li> Your appointments made by your customers or employees are automatically integrated into your calendar. </li> <li> You can automate reminders and follow-up messages. </li> <li> Your customers can pay directly on the platform. </li> </ul> Con <ul> <li> Learning the platform takes time and can be complex for your less tech-savvy customers. </li> </ul> <h3>Motion</h3> This software doesn't just organize your agenda, it also integrates project and task management. Motion uses artificial intelligence to build a schedule that will allow you to be as efficient as possible. AI organizes your schedule based on your priorities, the estimated duration of each task, and your scheduled appointments, helping you to be as efficient as possible. If you complete a task faster than expected, your schedule is automatically rearranged. No more thinking about what to do next! In addition, you can block certain time slots for your appointments and meetings, preventing them from encroaching on your time for other important tasks. Motion even warns you when your schedule becomes overloaded, which is a great way to quickly assess whether accepting a new contract is realistic. A real online assistant! Motion offers several integrations, including Google suite software, Zoom, Outlook, and iCloud Calendar. Pros <ul> <li> Your schedule is structured by Motion's artificial intelligence based on the parameters you've established. </li> <li> Recurring tasks can be automatically repeated. </li> </ul> Cons <ul> <li> Other than the trial period, there is no free plan. </li> <li> The software has a large number of options and settings, so it can take a long time before you get the hang of it. </li> </ul> <h3>Notion</h3> Notion is an extremely versatile task management tool. It allows you to detail each step necessary to complete a project and to associate deadlines with it. These tasks appear in your calendar alongside your appointments. This tool is useful for teams because it makes it easy to track project progress in real-time. You can synchronize your personal and professional calendars with Notion to block the times when you are unavailable.  Notion offers 115 integrations, including those for the Google suite, Zoom, Canva, and Calendly. Pros <ul> <li> The customization possibilities are endless so you can create the perfect tool for your needs. </li> <li> Notion offers many templates to facilitate the planning of your projects. </li> <li> You and your employees can work together on the same project. </li> </ul> Cons <ul> <li> Due to its many options, the software has a relatively a steep learning curve. </li> <li> It doesn't yet offer integrations for Outlook and iCloud. </li> </ul> <h3>Google Calendar</h3> Yes, the good old Google calendar can be a great tool to optimize the management of your calendar. If you're not yet ready to invest in specialized software, but want to say goodbye to your paper planner, this tool is still a very good option. Organize your schedule by creating separate calendars for personal events, work projects, and client appointments. Use color coding to differentiate between task types and set aside blocks of time to work on various projects. Pros <ul> <li> Google Calendar is very easy to use. </li> <li> All the options are free. </li> </ul> Cons <ul> <li> Customization options are limited. </li> <li> Depending on your needs, a complementary application may be necessary. </li> </ul> Optimizing your calendar management has never been easier thanks to the tools we showed you in this article. Whether it's to better schedule your appointments, automate reminders or prioritize your tasks with artificial intelligence, this software allows you to save precious time and maximize efficiency. With better organization, you'll be able to focus on what really matters: growing your business and achieving your goals. Want to discover other resources to make your daily work easier? Discover <a href="https://www.momenteo.com/blog/14-tools-that-are-recommended-by-freelancers">14 tools recommended by our freelancers</a> to optimize your operations. Roxane has always written and dreamed of making a living from her pen. Now a web editor, proofreader and author, we can say that it's mission accomplished!

Roxane