Every entrepreneur wants to be more efficient. Whether running a one-person business or trying to keep up with growing demands, there’s no such thing as “too much” time management. In fact, there are plenty of ways to save your precious hours by paying attention to how you work and what you do at the office every day. The good news? If you’re looking for ideas on how you can save time in your small business, that’s what this guide is for.
1. Hire a virtual assistant
There are many ways to save time in your small business, but one of the best is to hire a virtual assistant (VA). VAs can save you time and money by doing tasks that don’t require specialized knowledge or training—and they can often do them just as well as employees. The best part? You can hire them part-time or full-time, depending on what you need them to do.
It’s also worth mentioning that VAs are becoming more and more common. They’re prevalent among small business owners who don’t have the time or expertise to do things like bookkeeping, research, writing, and data entry.
2. Outsource
Outsourcing is one of the best ways to save time and money in your small business. Whether hiring a virtual assistant or finding an expert on Upwork, outsourcing can help you get more done in less time.
When looking for freelancers, ensure they’re a good fit for your company and project. If you’re going to be doing most of the work yourself anyway, it’s not worth paying someone else thousands of dollars per month just for them to sit around all day. Instead, look for someone with experience working with businesses similar to yours.
For example, if you require help with administrative tasks, outsourcing to a virtual assistant who works with small business owners can be a great fit. If you’re looking to save time with your sales tax solutions, look for an experienced sales tax expert who can help you get compliant in no time. You may also want to consider outsourcing some of your accounting work, as this can be done at a lower cost and with less expertise than hiring an employee.
3. Create a social media calendar
Most small businesses can already leverage at least one social media platform. But if your business is like most, you don’t have time to manage multiple accounts or keep up with the latest trends in social media marketing. That’s why creating a social media calendar for yourself and your company is important.
A social media calendar keeps track of all of your posts. It allows you to schedule them in advance easily, so they go out at specific times without requiring any additional work from you. Many people think that their one-on-one interactions online make up the bulk of their online presence, but it turns out that creating content has a much more significant impact on attracting new customers. This is especially true when that content is consistent enough so that people know what they can expect from you every time they see something new posted by the business on any given platform!
4. Delegate where possible
Delegation is a key component to saving time in your small business. It allows you to focus on the tasks only you can do and gives others a chance to contribute.
You should delegate as much as possible, but there are some things that you will want to keep for yourself. For example, when working on an important project, it is better if you handle the research yourself rather than ask someone else to do it for you. However, if there are other tasks that your employees or virtual assistant could do, then delegate those instead.
5. Focus on the 80/20 rule
The 80/20 rule is a well-known concept in business. It means that 80% of your results come from 20% of your efforts. The key is to identify the 20% of your activities that will give you 80% of the results and focus on those first.
To do this effectively, you need to figure out exactly what tasks are essential and which ones aren’t necessary at all. You should also use this technique when hiring employees or outsourcing work—focus on finding people who are good at doing what they do best, then let them handle it!
6. Know when it’s time to hire employees
No matter how much you love your business, it’s essential to realize that there are some things you just won’t be able to do yourself. Especially in projects such as accounting and marketing, you’ll need specialists who know more about those areas than you do.
You don’t need to hire an employee for everything, but if you’re feeling overwhelmed by all the work you have to do, it’s time to bring in some help. Look for people who are good at what they do and will be able to handle their own projects effectively.
7. Avoid multitasking
Multitasking is a myth; the human brain has limited processing capacity, so when you try to do two things at once, one of those things suffers. Research indicates that what happens is that your brain switches between tasks quickly, but because it takes time for the switch to occur, there’s less focus on each task and, therefore, less productivity. It also makes mistakes more likely and decreases creativity because our brains are designed for deep concentration rather than rapid switching from one activity to another.
If you’re trying to juggle multiple projects at once, consider giving yourself some time off from multitasking to focus on each project individually without distraction or overlap with other tasks that need attention. You’ll feel less stressed out in the long run if everyone understands what their job entails and how they fit into the overall picture rather than feeling like they’re expected to juggle multiple responsibilities simultaneously.
The Bottom Line
Despite your best efforts, there will always be tasks and areas of your business that require more time than you have. Being realistic about this fact is essential to making the most of your time and not wasting it on unnecessary tasks. These seven tips should help you get started!