You’re busy if you are an entrepreneur. You devote daily hours to building your company, working on your next marketing campaign, developing your products and services, and everything else. If there is one thing every small business owner needs, it is more time. Here are seven ways to make the most of your time while running your company.
- Use Shortcuts
Can tools help you be more productive in a shorter amount of time? No matter the job, there is probably an online tool that can help you reduce your task load. Some examples are:
- Buying accounting software to help you with accounts payable and receivable
- Using low code to help you develop software faster
- Implementing project management tools to track schedules and keep everyone on the same page
- Plan Your Day
Do you habitually start each day without a schedule, simply tackling projects that appear before you? If so, you may be missing out on the most vital tasks. Some items on your to-do list are essential to growing and maintaining your company, but they are too easy to set aside for more urgent matters.
Working off the cuff also means that instead of controlling your day, it controls you. If you’d like to take charge again, begin each workday with a list. Put the most important tasks at the top and carve out time for them. A calendar can also help you track meetings. Make an appointment for yourself each day to work on vital company-building tasks.
- Learn To Focus
Focusing on a task for longer than a few minutes can feel like a luxury. Who has time to keep working on the same thing when you are constantly interrupted by notifications, emails and phone calls?
Mindfulness is a lost art, but that doesn’t mean you should stop practicing it. Spend a few minutes each day meditating to teach your mind how to concentrate again. Carve out a block of time for a task you must complete and turn off your phone. You can always check notifications later.
- Batch Your Duties
Another way to keep your focus is to complete similar tasks in a batch. If you have to make a phone call, make several in a row to spend time in “phone” mode. It prevents you from wasting time shifting your focus. Similarly, check your email once or twice daily instead of jumping at every new notification. You can batch other tasks that are similar, such as writing reports or creating social media posts.
- Delegate Work
If you have employees, delegating some of your responsibilities can be fairly painless. You can also consider hiring freelancers if you are a solo entrepreneur. Think of redundant jobs that take away large chunks of your day or that you need to develop skills to complete. Some examples are:
- Marketing campaign creation
- Janitorial services
- Email newsletters
- Payroll
- Audit Your Time
Some days go by, and you have no idea where the time went. If you have too many of those days in a row, a time audit may help you track your hours. Break up your day into half-hour or hour segments and keep a log of how you spend them.
Do you notice patterns? Are you spending more time on social media than you expected? Did your phone calls turn into long conversations that could have happened at another time? A time audit can be tedious at first, but if you can identify problem areas and fix them, it’s worth the effort.
- Make Use of Waiting Time
Everyone has periods of waiting for something. You may find yourself at the doctor’s office or on hold with a vendor. Before you know it, 15 minutes or half an hour have gone by. You can spend that time returning calls or planning your week to reduce frustration.
Time-saving methods are essential for entrepreneurs. With creativity and thought, you can improve your schedule to work more efficiently and have more time for vital tasks.