This is sponsored by the Chase Ink Business Unlimited credit card. The content and opinions expressed below are that of The Futur.

When Elay Cohen moved to Silicon Valley from his hometown of Toronto, he had dreams of starting his own successful company. It would be fifteen years until that dream came true, but it’s safe to say that it was worth the wait. SalesHood is changing the face of sales culture. During those first fifteen years, Elay became an expert in his field and became known in the tech world as one of the main players who helped grow Salesforce into the multi-billion-dollar enterprise it is today.

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Chris got a chance to sit down and chat with his client and friend to find out how
Elay stays productive while he’s busy running a fast-growing company and
writing his second book. Here are some of the great tips Elay had to share:

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1. Set small goals

For Elay, every day begins with one simple action: making the bed. Yes, even this little step provides a sense of accomplishment to start your day. It’s all about getting something done and moving on to the next task. Elay sets his days up as a series of goals, sometimes even dividing them up between the morning and afternoon. Thinking small allows you to move forward at a manageable pace instead of feeling overwhelmed by how much has to be done. Elay applies these same principles to his business by thinking of his annual targets in terms of monthly and quarterly objectives.

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2. Double dip

As a CEO, author and father, Elay’s schedule is unsurprisingly jam-packed. In order to make the best use of his time, Elay likes to do two things at once whenever possible. For example, Elay often uses his morning run as a brainstorming session, choosing a topic to think about before he takes off. Even time spent on social media can be useful. When Elay was working on his new book, Enabling Mastery, he would test out his ideas while tweeting or in company blog posts, thereby writing while simultaneously promoting his company. Talk about killing two birds with one stone!

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3. Prioritize A.K.A don’t be afraid to say no!

Successful people are often asked for their time by people looking to follow in their footsteps. Elay says it’s been challenging, but he’s learned how to say no to that proverbial “cup of coffee” and instead offer to be helpful in a more concrete (and less time consuming) way like making an introduction or granting a specific request. When it comes to prioritizing his schedule, Elay likes to ask himself what will make a difference today and move those things to the top of the list.

Elay Cohen has mastered the workday and his tips are priceless. But another thing that can help small business owners and creative professionals make the best use of their time is to find the right financial tools, like a simple small business credit card.

One simple example is the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card. With unlimited 1.5% cash back on every purchase, no annual fee, and no minimum balance to redeem rewards, the Chase Ink Business Unlimited Credit Card keeps your finances simple, so you can focus on the important things.

For more information, visit Chase Ink.

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