We’d all like to have just a little more time in the day to accomplish the tasks on our to-do list.
Since adding more time isn’t the day, how can you save more time to be more productive?
To answer this question, we asked 10 small business owners for their best time-saving tips. From pre-planning to delegating, here are some of the best ways to save time for busy small business owners.
Pre-Plan
The secret lies in pre-planning. Every Sunday I look at my week ahead so I am aware of, and on top of, what lies ahead. I repeat this same process every evening before winding down my workday. What does tomorrow look like: what do I need to plan for, what meetings do I have and what items do I need to bring for those, where do the kids need to be and when, etc. Simple pre-planning forces me to create a plan so I can better handle any unexpected things that come up.
Jodi Low, U & Improved
Brain Dump Software
Use a “brain dump” application or software to record those golden ideas that come to you in random places. I prefer Evernote which is available on all mobile devices and desktops across both Mac and PC. All my client intel is stored in Evernote. That’s over 140 Notebooks with 20-150 notes in each. This is what keeps my business mobile!
Karen Loomis, No Moss Brands
Time Blocking
It’s easy to get pulled in a hundred different directions when trying to get things done, and we definitely experience this with startups. I recommend practicing “time blocking” which is a time management technique in which you designate a specific segment of the day to a certain type of task. As a morning person, I find it highly productive to tackle detailed analytical work in the morning and I block-off time to complete what is required. It’s easy to get distracted by the immediate but incredibly important to allow time for the important strategic projects. If we don’t allow time for these activities they get pushed off to a later date, allocating the time today can make tomorrow easier.
Carol Bramson, Side by Side
Delegate
Delegate, delegate, delegate. In the workplace, focus on the things that you’re really good at and passionate about. And for everything else, pass it off to others that will (hopefully) enjoy it…and probably do a better job than you would anyway!
Landon Mance, YourFuture Planning Partners
Use an Automated Scheduler
My work schedule is jam packed, and using an automated scheduler frees me up from the hassle of back and forth emails when planning meetings. Having preset meeting categories available at varying times makes it simple to send a link to participants. This allows them the opportunity to choose a convenient time for them based on my availability. Additionally, reminders and follow-up emails are automatically generated.
Karen Nowicki, Business Radio X
Designate Time for Emails
As a client communications manager for a small SEO company, it is easy to get sucked into every email I get from a client, letting it trump whatever task that I am working on at the moment. This makes my everyday tasks take so much longer to get done when I am constantly checking my email and going back and forth between clients and tasks. I have set certain times for myself to check my emails and do nothing else. I set a timer and reply to emails for usually 45 minutes at a time, so I am focusing completely and responding to everyone’s needs. This allows me to focus more fully when completing other tasks and discourages distractions. I have been so much more productive and have so much time throughout my workday.
Kayla Centeno, Markitors
Silence Your Phone
Silence your phone and put it in another room so you aren’t tempted to check it. Your brain is being hi-jacked with every beep, chirp, or buzz of your phone. Yes, your attention and awareness are being stolen from the present moment each time you check for the next message. If you need to regularly check your cell, set a time at the top of the hour to check-in. By silencing your phone you can block time to do deep work. Deep work requires attention and focus. Blocking off time helps you discover deeper issues to “surface-level problems.” This results in developing long term sustainable solutions.
Mark Jamnik, Enjoy Life Daily
Shrink Your To-Do List
I always like to tackle smaller tasks head on before diving into more intricate ones. It feels good to see a to-do list shrink as you cross off those tasks you completed. This gives you more time to focus on those that require more concentration.
LT Ladino Bryson, vCandidates
Allocate More Time Than You Might Need For Each Task
Saving time is an important part of every day, and one of the best ways to do so is to streamline your processes. If you are working with multiple clients, handle related tasks across the board and schedule a little more time than you might think you need for each task. You may be surprised to find out how much time you spend trying to squeeze more into a task that takes longer than you anticipated. That additional time that you may save can easily turn into completing a project ahead of time, or with more targeted results.
Greg Gillman, MuteSix
Learn When You Do Different Kinds of Work Best
I work in content marketing, which means a lot of writing and editing, as well as analytics and keyword research. These are very different kinds of work, and switching back and forth always costs too much time. I’ve found that I’m better at writing and editing first thing in the morning or the end of the day, and I do better keyword research and SEO optimizations in the middle of my workday, before and after lunch. So I schedule that. If I need to write an email or a blog post, I do it first thing. If I have to edit a whitepaper, I do it before signing off at the end of the day. And whenever I need keywords or to optimize blog posts, I plan on tackling that in the middle. Once you learn when you work best, you can schedule accordingly—and make even better use of your time.
Ceillie Clark-Keane, Unstack
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