For the next few weeks, I’m sharing with you, my best time-saving tips, so you can find more time. I know, you’re thinking, how do I find time, when I’m already ‘working smart’? This is possible.
As small business owners, we are all looking for ways to generate more revenue, to grow and improve our business. The more time you free up, the more time you’ll have to generate more money.
Or if you’re doing too much, and are stressed to the maximum, then you’ll be looking to reduce your hours, so you can have more down-time and family time.
If this sounds like you, then read on and I hope you’ll find these tips of value.
Focus on what’s important
About a decade ago, I attended a time management workshop and learned lots of valuable time management tips that I still use today. One simple tip is to use the Franklin Covey Time Management Matrix. It’s a simple quadrant that says you should work “above the line” in order to focus on the most urgent and most important tasks in your life. The idea is that you draw a matrix up on your notepad, when planning your next week, and add each of your major tasks into one of the quadrants. This will help you focus and get things done.
This article has more on what the matrix is and how to use it.
Procedures
If you have any other workers in your business, apart from yourself, then it’s a good idea to develop procedures covering all aspects of operating your business. Why? Because businesses that have procedures in place, will usually run more efficiently and waste less time, as their workers will know how to get things done.
And if it’s just you, but you have tasks that you don’t carry out all that often, then it’s helpful to write procedures for these infrequent tasks, as you will save time, when you next have to do the task, as you won’t have to rely on your memory (or Google!).
This article covers how to write a procedures manual.
Checklists
Routine checklists are simple lists, setup for frequent or recurring tasks, which set out the main steps involved to complete a process or project. Using checklists saves time, as they reduce the chance that you will forget to complete “the simple stuff”, preventing mistakes and rework. Some examples of where you might use a checklist include client intake, client meeting preparation, or travel planning. This article on the power of checklists explains this topic in more depth.
Calendar reminders and follow ups
If you use a reminder/follow up system, then you won’t ever forget those important deadlines again! I simply use my calendar to add reminders for time sensitive paperwork or due dates. You can also block out time in your calendar to allocate time to work on time critical activities. If you have team mates who never get their papers in on time, then send them a calendar reminder (from your calendar to theirs), so they don’t forget.
Now, go ahead and get started with the above tips and see if you can save yourself time.
Are you a busy consultant, who is ready to free up your time from admin tasks? Contact Cath for a chat to discuss how to get started.
Modern Day PA organises the admin for small business owners who are time-poor, so that they spend less time in the office and more time on revenue producing work.
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