Regain Control of Your Time With This Easy Entrepreneurial Tool Harnessing the power of this tool will save you stress and planning while simultaneously allowing you to be in many places.
By Krista Mashore Edited by Micah Zimmerman
Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.
As entrepreneurs, I doubt any of us start out thinking, "I want to start my own business, so I can work 16-hour days, seven days per week for years and years until it's finally profitable enough that I can take a little time off and enjoy life." Yet frankly, that's what most entrepreneurs do. In fact, for many entrepreneurs, that 24/7 grind never ends! We're trying to build something, but along the way, we're losing our most important asset: control over our time.
Building a business does require a huge amount of time and energy. But if we build it smart and use our time effectively, we get control of our time back even while building it. In building my two businesses, I've discovered that the number one key to using my time effectively and unlocking time freedom — the ultimate freedom — is using video.
Related: How To Take Back Control of Your Time
Videos are one and done
Some of my new students worry that videos will take too much time, and they're swamped already. Yes, it does take time to create good videos (though it gets quicker the more you do it). But when you create a video once, it can be used repeatedly.
For example, I filmed my listing presentation when I was active in real estate. Before listing appointments, I'd send that video to potential clients. Then, when we met face-to-face, I wasn't wasting my time going over basic information. I spent my time more effectively addressing their specific concerns and questions. I saved thousands of hours literally with that one video. And it took me less than an hour to create!
Video builds relationship
Video creates a relationship (called a parasocial relationship) between you and the viewer. Think about the newscaster you watch every evening or the guy in the State Farm Insurance ad. Don't you feel like you know them even though you've never met them?
The personal touch is still essential in any business. People want connection, and through video, they feel connected to you, especially if they see lots of your videos. They see and hear you and get a sense of who you are. They feel they know you, even though you've never met face to face. They begin to like and trust you and want to do business with you.
Video puts you in several places at once
With videos, whether providing customer service or marketing your product, "you" can be in multiple places simultaneously. While the physical you leads a team meeting, the "video you" can show clients how to get the most out of your product. The "video you" can also share valuable knowledge about your industry to attract new customers or wish someone a happy birthday — all at the same time. You don't have to drive yourself crazy trying to be anywhere you'd like to be. The video has you covered.
Related: 5 Reasons Your Business Won't Survive the Recession Without This Crucial Tool
Videos work 24/7
Videos work for you while you're having breakfast, doing your workout and even sleeping! Rather than working 24/7 yourself, you can let your videos market for you, answer questions or share the latest information on your industry.
My leads and community can watch hours and hours of my videos while I'm on a date with my husband or working on my next book. They can binge all the information their heart desires without actually ever speaking to me directly. I do not have to be on call in the evenings or on weekends because my videos are on call for me.
Related: 5 Tips on How to Explain a Business to the Masses With Video
Video honors your customer's time
You don't want to show up at your customer's kitchen table in the middle of the night (and they probably don't want you to). But with video, they can watch and listen to you whenever they want. They can be in their pajamas or at the grocery checkout line and still have access to you and your knowledge. They don't have to interrupt their day to get the information they want or need from you. They don't have to work around your business hours to have many of their questions answered or get the insights they need.
Video is far-reaching
How many people can you talk to and connect with during a month? Even if you give huge presentations to hundreds of people, how many of those can you book each month? You can get tens of thousands of views when you create a good video and distribute it properly (meaning, you don't just hide the video on your website but place it on social media platforms). You can reach people who want to do business with you that you would never have met.
What will you do with your time?
When you make the move to use video throughout your business, you get your time back. The fun question is: What will you do with that time? Will you write a book? Build another business? Spend more time with family and friends? I've done all of that.
Before I understood and used the power of video, my life was all about catch-up. I got everything done but often at a cost to my personal life and health. I saw a limit in how far I could take my business because I still had too many places to be and people to connect with, even when I brought on a support team. Video changed all that, and now my businesses have grown far beyond any limits I saw in the past.
So, if you want your time back even while you're building your business, learn to tap the incredible power of video.
