Schijns' Advice To VARs: Protect Your Time!

Written by: Mike Monocello

I recently had a call with Janet Schijns, VP of worldwide channels, distribution, and alliances for Motorola's Enterprise Mobility division. While the majority of the information from the call will have to wait until an upcoming issue of the Business Solutions magazine, Schijns and I had an interesting off-topic discussion about today's VARs overextending themselves.

Consider the very realistic scenario of a VAR business owner who functions as the salesperson, technician, marketing department, bookkeeper, and HR manager of the company. You might be in this situation or know someone who is. Indeed, I talk to many VARs who fit this mold.

Schijns shared some advice her father gave her: "Never do yourself, what you can pay someone $10 an hour to do." While you might not be able to pay a salesperson or offload all your duties for $10 an hour, the point is strong. As a business owner striving to succeed in 2009 - more than ever - you need to ensure that you are spending your time wisely.

In fact, a great use of your time would be to learn some time management strategies like prioritization, goal setting, keeping activity logs, and dealing with your own procrastination. Visit MindTools.com for some great checklists, self-assessments, and training tools to improve your time management - for free.

You also might want to check out Business Solutions' free Lunch & Learn Webinar, "Time Management for VARs and MSPs," which took place on July 16. Grab your lunch, turn up the volume on your computer, and get ready for real-life, channel-focused advice from Business Solutions magazine's Editor Gennifer Biggs and special guest, Jim Estill, time management guru and former SYNNEX CEO. This webinar addresses how to efficiently manage your schedule, your business, and every project in between. Access the webinar here.