Everyone knows the importance of prioritizing the business to-do list, but entrepreneurs have a particular problem since they tend to lack the individuals to delegate tasks to - and women entrepreneurs tend to have the most difficult time delegating. But, when you have too much on your plate - and let's face it in a 24/7 global economy where communications can happen at every minute - too much on your plate is every business person's biggest problem! So, what do you do first? 
(1) Get organized. Often entrepreneurs believe that they only do their best work when they feel a whim of inspiration. The problem with waiting for inspiration to get you off your butt is that the to-do list continues to grow. Getting organized requires putting systems in place so that there are no gaps in getting the work accomplished regardless of your mood. I recommend taking the time to write a list of everything that must happen on a daily basis pretending you are preparing it for your substitute team. In other words, pretend you must hand over your business to someone else but will retain the income and expenses. Write down what must be done so that nothing is left undone. Organization is the first step in prioritization.
(2) The boss of everything. As Donnie Brasco would say..."forget about it". You started your business so you could be your own boss, but that doesn't mean you MUST do everything! Women entrepreneurs are particularly poor at delegation. Why? Perhaps because we've learned from our mothers that doing it yourself is sometimes a lot quicker than explaining to someone else how and what to do etc. No one, and I do mean no one, can be successful in business if(s)he refuses to delegate responsibilities. As a matter of fact, the most successful business people I know, have learned to build a strong team and delegate. Micromanaging is for losers. In today's business world, every job requires specific skills and an objective viewpoint to move the company forward. Can you imagine a entrepreneur with a marketing degree spending time directing the company's payroll, human resources, accounting, website updates or R&D? Of course not! But too many entrepreneurs get caught in the "it's my vision and I'll do what I want to" and leave their team waiting for the go ahead. Priority number one is to build a great team and delegate leaving you time to do what you do well.
(3) Making decisions. There is now and there is later. Every time you 'put off something for tomorrow that you can do today' (Thomas Jefferson) , well you know the punch line. Procrastination is for losers too! Of course, it is important to get all the information necessary to make decisions, but making decisions moves you forward. Yes, sometimes it all goes right and sometimes it all goes wrong, but either way the company moves forward. And, most decisions are reversible. But, if you spend your precious time procrastinating you won't have time for the important tasks.
(4) No more try just do. We all know that we spend more time thinking about doing than actually doing. Try this experiment. I promise the world will not come to an end. Before you get to work in the morning make a list of 5 things you will do as soon as you get to your office. Then, one by one do each task in a row without taking a moment to think about what you are doing. For example, if you are in sales decide the 5 people you will call as soon as you get in the office. Boom: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, call each one and then record the results. See how much time you waste (yes waste) thinking about these calls when you really know exactly what you will say. No matter what type of business you are in you can check off 5 tasks each morning and feel way ahead of the game every day. Even if these tasks don't fit on your priority list this experiment will demonstrate where your time, your most precious commodity, is going to each day.
Finally, as much as I know how the work/family balance affects the way women entrepreneur's prioritize their time, I also know that once the choice is made to be an entrepreneur, spending time beating yourself up over the decision only hurts you personally and professionally. Entrepreneurship is about independence and women around the world are learning, we must prioritize in order to make it all work for ourselves and our families.
In the world of business time is money and women entrepreneurs must prioritize to earn a living.
