While any business can benefit from taking a look at where time is being wasted, as a Small business you want to make sure you are making the most of your time and using it proactively. You want to be able to spend time on planning future projects to help grow your brand and your business, you want to be able to focus on tasks that make you money.
Loss of time can be down to a number of different factors; being unorganised and dated processes are often up there with the top reasons for delays but here are some of our top tips to help get you back on track, and make the most out of the time you have in your day.
Stay Organised
Organisational skills often go under-appreciated, when you have a system in place and you know where everything is you save so much time compared to those who don’t and have to search and search to find the information they are after. Make sure you keep your databases up-to-date, keep all your files organised and labelled clearly.
You should also stay on top of your accounts, especially if you are a freelancer or limited business. Keeping your accounts in check all year round will help save time when it comes to the end of the tax year and you have deadlines to meet.
Streamline your processes
Systems and processes are always developing. People are creating new apps we can all use to help us save a little more time, that’s why you should often look at your processes and how you are completing tasks. Review and analyse, doing this every 6 months/year will help to keep you up to date as well as save you time in the long run due to being able to identify time consuming processes. Taking the time to look into the range of different technologies out there can save you so much time, you can speed up the process or even automate a process.
Identify your most proactive time in the day
Everyone has a time of day where they feel the most proactive and productive, recognise this and plan around getting bigger tasks focussed on during this time, the more important and difficult tasks.
When you start your day, to create momentum, you should start by completing your smaller, quicker tasks. Build up your momentum and focus for the day, these smaller tasks take less energy, resulting in a better boost later in your day. Organising your day in such a way will help you to be the most proactive you can be, with the time you have available in the day.
Remove interruptions
Our lives revolve around technology, some more than others but especially when it comes to business. It is likely that throughout the day you are interrupted due to emails popping up, app notifications and phone calls around the clock too. Set time intervals for checking your notifications and turn pop up notifications off, this helps to stop interruptions so your productivity doesn’t take a hit.
Outsource tasks
Sometimes the best thing you can do is outsource tasks to a virtual assistant. This allows you to have someone work on these tasks while you are able to focus on the growth and expansion of your business. Unlike hiring an employee, a virtual assistant only gets paid for the hours spent on the task at hand, saving you money in the long run.
We have a number of different services that we offer to support you and your business. If there is something that you can’t see but would like to chat about, do not hesitate to contact us, as we are often improving on our skills. You can read more about what we can offer, in terms of Virtual assistance here.
We also offer a Call handling service where we can take your calls for you to help lower interruptions and help prevent missed calls. Alongside this we also offer admin packages if you require us to fill out any forms or accompanying documents. You can find more information on this service here.