7 Ways Business Owners Can Increase Productivity

These must-dos will free up your time and lower your stress level.

All business owners struggle with improving time management and productivity. However, as an entrepreneur or small business owner, struggling can feel more like drowning. Since you’re required to do more with less, you wear a variety of hats, juggle many tasks, and control nearly every aspect of your business.

Look, we get it. We’re business owners with a variety of responsibilities and roles too. Added to that, we work with business owners just like you who struggle with their productivity. Just dealing with day-to-day operations can use up all your time and hinder your ability to think strategically about future growth and business strategy.

Here are 7 simple tips you can do now to start spending more time on your strengths, so you can focus your efforts where your business needs you most.

1. Automate whatever you can. Look into tools like Zapier to automate anything you do manually. Tools like this will integrate information between apps and automate workflows. This will save you time and energy
2. Tackle your hardest items first. If you take on the most complex task on your to-do list first, you can usually make significant progress. Then, you can knock out smaller, easier tasks as your energy starts to flag and when there is less demand for your attention.
3. Make meetings count. Use a chat tool like Slack during the workday to stay better connected to your team. Only have meetings if absolutely necessary and have an agenda. Include only the people who are really crucial and update others via meeting notes, if necessary. If the meeting gets side-tracked, you can use the agenda as a prompt to get the meeting back on point
4. Schedule monthly 80-20 analyses. Followers of Tim Ferris may be familiar with 80-20 rule. Figure out which 20% of activities that are producing 80% of desired results. Then, you figure out the 20% of activities that are taking up 80% of your time. The greater the time you spend on task doesn’t necessarily mean your spending it in the right areas. You should be focused on the quality of the task’s outcome, not the time it takes to accomplish it.
5. Break up your work day. Break your day into blocks of time and assign that time to tackle a task. Set a time aside to respond to emails or make phone calls. Make sure to block off bigger time slots to accomplish more strategic tasks such as defining business goals and strategy
6. Workspace. Don’t forget about your workspace. Layout, space, and lighting/décor can have a significant impact on your productivity and wellbeing. Designing a great workspace can inspire you and your employees to be more productive and efficient.
7. Outsource your weaknesses. Once you’ve figured out what takes up time and isn’t productive for you, outsource it. Hate bookkeeping? Your time is probably better spent on something tied to your core competencies, so consider outsourcing to a freelancer or service. If you’re procrastinating on a task, then remember that time is money and your time is valuable. Also, consider building a board of trusted advisors to help you in areas that aren’t your strongest.

One business owner can’t do everything well. Entrepreneurs and small business owners want to tackle everything themselves, but they need to think about their time and effort strategically. Incorporate tools and processes that will help you spend time on your strengths and outsource your weaknesses. Using these 7 tips can help you stay on track and manage your time and productivity more effectively.

At Verity Commercial, we partner with businesses to join business goals and strategy to their commercial real estate. As a result, we have become more than just commercial real estate agents – we are business advisors with a unique perspective on business and real estate.

Contact us to learn about our strategic approach to real estate or download one of valuable business resources.