5 Time-Saving Tips To Boost Productivity
When consultants work with small business owners, they usually find the same story. They may be in vastly different kinds of business, but the struggles are the same. The owners feel overwhelmed, like they are running in place and gaining very little ground in their goals. The biggest problem is “time wasters.” These can come in the form of poor organization and procrastination. Wherever these things exist, it is usually because the owners are wearing too many hats. They meet themselves coming and going, because they are scattered in dozens of different directions at once.
Colleen DeBaise wrote an excellent article for Smart Money which offers practical suggestions for better time management. Following these simple guidelines will boost productivity and put the business back under the control of the owner instead of the owner being under the control of the business. Here are some excerpts from her fine article:
Here are simple tips to better manage your time:
Update your business plan
Every entrepreneur should have a document that outlines the company’s mission, financial goals, market analysis and plans for the future. Often, small-business clients who come to Kassel (Kerul Kassel–A productivity expert out of Harmony, Florida) because they feel directionless or inefficient haven’t revisited or even assembled a business plan — and that’s a big problem. She recommends writing a plan immediately, with a focus on both short- and long-term goals. Year’s end is the perfect time to ask: “What do I want to accomplish in 2008, and how do I go about doing that?” she says. Break down a plan for the new year into monthly or even weekly to-do lists, she adds.
Pinpoint what’s important
It’s easy to spend too much time on inconsequential matters, which is why Youd tells her small-business clients to focus — first and foremost — on finishing jobs, completing projects and landing new deals that will directly result in revenue. “After those tasks are done, they can work on tasks that indirectly bring in profit,” such as advertising or marketing, she says. When in doubt, choose the task that’s “closest to the money line,” she says.
Delegate
A small-business owner wears many hats, from product development to tax preparation; learning how to assign tasks to others is critical. “A lot of people are afraid of handing off the hat to someone else,” says Victoria Pericon, editor of online magazine SavvyMommy.com in New York, who frequently doles out time-management advice to business-owner parents. “But it’s actually hurting us.” The best approach is to focus your time and energy on what you do best, and assign other tasks to employees or consultants.
Limit time checking email and voicemail
The ping of emails flowing into one’s inbox can suck the productivity out of the most laser-sharp-focused individuals. While opinions vary on how best to deal with the constant interruption, many time-management experts agree: Curb your viewing time. Youd recommends that business owners spend a full hour, first thing in the morning, getting work done before checking emails. So if you start work at, say, 9 a.m., “never check until 10 am,” she says. Then, wait until noon to check the next batch of messages.
Attend workshops and conferences
Sometimes, it’s a lack of inspiration that causes one to be unproductive. Trade groups or industry associations often host expos that can expose an entrepreneur to new ideas, innovative products and potential partners or service providers. Attend an event and “come back with great ideas,” Kassel says.
When diligent care is not exercised in money management in a business, money walks out the door without the owner ever knowing what happened to it. When diligent care is not exercised in customer service, customers walk out the door the same way. Those are tangible, measurable things. But time is different. Owners who are very careful about money management and customer service can completely drop the ball when it comes to time management. With just a few minor adjustments, those holes can be plugged and your small business can thrive.
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