How To Save Time When Running A Business

If there’s one thing a business owner will want more of, it’s time.

This is because having more time on your side means more opportunities for both business growth and catching up on sleep. In short, it is often key to cultivating a healthy work-life balance, something that feels out of reach for many business owners!

With that in mind, here are just some of the ways in which you can save valuable time when running a business! 

Streamline your business operations. Finding effective ways to streamline your business operations is one of the most straightforward ways in which you can save time as a business owner. This is because it can help you to simplify complex (and otherwise time-consuming tasks) so that they can be completed in a matter of seconds as opposed to several hours. Learning how to do this now, when your business is in its infancy, means that you can ensure your business continues to run smoothly as you grow – which means you’ll always feel as though you have a little extra time on your hands. 

Invest in technology. Investing in the right tools and technology can also help you save time when running a business, especially when they can be used to automate tasks that you’d otherwise struggle with. For example, you could use AP Automation Software to speed up the process of generating invoices and accepting electronic payments. This means that you can improve your cash flow and remain financially healthy without spending hours on these tasks yourself!

Practice time blocking. Time blocking refers to breaking down your daily schedule into hourly or thirty-minute segments and assigning specific tasks to each ‘block.’ Doing so allows you to spend every minute of your day wisely without attempting to juggle too much at once. 

As a general rule, you should always try to start your day by focusing on tasks with urgent deadlines or those you find the hardest. Not only will this allow you to get them out of the way as quickly as possible, but we are also more productive in the morning than later on in the day. This is likely because we feel refreshed and re-energized at this time, and our energy levels will begin to drop as the day wears on. 

Hire an administrative assistant. Administrative tasks, such as managing your inbox or replying to phone calls, are important, but they do not necessarily contribute to your bottom line. Despite this, they are incredibly time-consuming tasks, with the average person spending up to three hours a day replying to emails at work. As such, you can free up a considerable amount of time in your day by hiring an administrative assistant who can take care of this work on your behalf. This means that you have more time to set aside for other aspects of running your business! 

Not only that but having an administrative professional on your team will help to increase customer satisfaction rates quite considerably. This is because it means customers will receive a response to messages and phone calls relatively quickly, without having to wait around! 

Set clear deadlines. As a business owner, you may be used to setting deadlines for your employees. After all, they are crucial when it comes to working effectively and meeting the expectations of your customers. However, many business owners do not treat their own work with the same sense of urgency. By giving each project you work on a set deadline, you’ll find it much easier to manage your time, as you’ll know exactly what you need to work on/towards each day. 

Furthermore, missing deadlines on a routine basis shows that something needs to change within your day-to-day working practices. For example, it could be that you need to find a better space to work from home as you are giving into distractions too easily or that you need to invest in new tools and tech. Either way, having deadlines in place is often key to improving your time management skills, even if you aren’t meeting them to begin with. 

Final thoughts. It is easy to feel as though there is never enough time in the day – especially as a business owner with a never-ending to-do list. However, the truth is, there are plenty of steps that you can take to save time when running a business, from using technology to automate time-consuming tasks to hiring an administrative assistant.

However, it is equally important that you take a break when you need one.