Starting your own business is one of the most demanding tasks you will ever assume. Everything feels like it must be handled immediately, and you have to jump from one task to the other at a moment’s notice. When you manage a small business, you do most of the work alone, making matters worse. If you are beginning to feel like you have no more time to spare, you are not alone.
While cutting back hours on your workday seems impossible, it may actually increase productivity for small business owners. A small business owner should have a few extra hours away from their business to reset and recharge to be most productive. You will not only have more clarity in decision-making, but you will also have more time to reflect at the end of the day.
GoShip has gathered a few helpful tips to help you save time when running your business and make you a more productive owner:
Get up one hour earlier
Studies have shown that people who wake up earlier in the day tend to get more done. When we think about efficiency, some assume it only means making the most of resources in a given timeframe. At the same time, what if you could extend the timeframe without causing delays? Add an extra hour at the beginning of your workday instead of the end to increase productivity.
Productivity for small business owners counts for every second you spend working, but you aren’t always thinking straight when you work too many hours. Reducing your ability to think clearly might leave you with several things to rectify and more work than before. Keep your efficiency high by ensuring your focus is solely on work.
When you have an extra hour to prep in the morning, you can prepare yourself better for anything the day might throw at you. When you clock in, your mind shouldn’t be dwelling on what you didn’t get to do in the morning while rushing out the door. An extra hour at the beginning of your day allows you more time to set the tone for the whole workday, which brings us to our following advice-
At the end of your workday, try these tips:
Implement a strict clock-out schedule: Don’t try to punch more hours on the clock at the end of the day. After an 8+ hour workday, you are tired and not thinking clearly. Going beyond your schedule today risks constricting tomorrow’s timeframe. You pack up everything later and get to bed later when you end later. When it’s time to clock out, shut it down for the day—make it a habit of sticking to the program every day.
Believe it or not, a routine work schedule can also decrease procrastination in your whole team. Without having the option to extend the day, you will drive yourself to finish the required work within that day’s schedule. Less procrastination leads to fewer remnants to follow through on the next day, giving you more time to start on other tasks tomorrow.
Clock out entirely: We all know what it feels like to clock out and bring work home with us. If your small business is run from inside your home, it’s even harder to separate yourself from work. You can turn everything off and still have your mind on until late at night. When you can’t take your mind off work, you might get an itch to start back up again.
Create a structure and make it a habit to leave it at that every day. You can train your mind faster when you build and practice these habits. It’ll be easier for your mind to wind down when it becomes routine to clock out of work entirely. Take time to reflect on your workday, but don’t dwell on it so much that you cannot sleep.
Stop Multitasking
You may believe that multitasking increases productivity for small business owners; however, the quality of your outputs is what matters the most.
The quality of your tasks is more important than the quantity completed. You could be doing ten things at once, with some resulting favorably but most of them poorly. You will also likely take longer to finish tasks when they are completed all at once.
When you do things one at a time, you can execute them more quickly and thoroughly. If you have eight hours in the workday, try dedicating an hour to each task. Keep your focus on one thing before moving on to another. Prioritizing and categorizing will help you get work done faster and better in the long run.
Prioritize
In breaking down your tasks for the day, categorize them into three groups:
- Primary
- Secondary
- Supplemental
Grant yourself the most time executing your primary tasks since they are the most important for your business. Primary tasks need the most attention to detail and require more time. Put responsibilities that represent your brand the most in this category.
Secondary tasks are those you can delegate, but still need your supervision. These tasks should come immediately after completing your primaries if you manage your business alone.
Supplemental tasks don’t necessarily require your undivided attention. They are often tasks you can put off for a later date. For example, if your immediate goal isn’t to grow your business quite yet, you can put advertisements and expansion in this category.
How you execute some business tasks represents your brand more than others, especially for product-centered firms:
Quality control: Remember, e-commerce platforms like Amazon and eBay allow customers to leave public reviews for products. If the quality of your products isn’t as advertised, customers may leave negative reviews. These reviews may deter others from procuring them.
Forgoing quality checks on your products before sending them out can take a toll on your business to rectify later. Ensure you are also packing the correct quantity of products before sending packages out.
Delivery: Another primary component is shipping and handling.
Most business owners overlook this because they think it is outside their scope of responsibility. We assure you, it’s not. While it isn’t your personal responsibility to deliver your products to each customer, who you entrust to complete the job is telling of your professional etiquette.
Don’t partner with less than reliable handlers to prevent tainting your business’ reputation. The poor delivery of a customer’s purchase will reflect on you more than it will on the courier service.
Where to find a reliable courier service for small businesses
To find reliable couriers for your small to mid-scale business shipments, you can trust GoShip.com.
GoShip is a self-service platform that allows you to ship your goods anywhere in the country for affordable prices. You won’t have to go through middle-man services that charge for managing shipments.
GoShip has various shipping options. Whether you send out full truckloads or LTL, they have over fifty-five thousand certified carriers you can entrust with your products. Having a reliable partner to delegate shipping duties to makes this primary task secondary. Request a quote today!