As a business owner, you’re undoubtedly busy. There’s just so much on your plate – growing your business, managing your employees, thinking about the long-term strategy and day-to-day operations. But just working longer hours to get it all done results in burnout pretty quickly. Rather, you should aim instead to increase your productivity, so you can get more done in less time. Maximizing productivity for business owners means working smarter – and these top productivity tips will help you do just that.
Plus, we are highlighting our recent YouTube videos, talking in-depth about productivity for business owners like you.
Tips on Maximizing Productivity for Business Owners
Maximizing Productivity with Technology
Sure, technology can be a distraction from your work sometimes. But by managing it correctly and using productivity-enhancing technology to make you more efficient, you’ll be surprised at how much you can get done in a day.
But every business’s needs are different. Take a few minutes to sit down and figure out where you’re frequently losing or wasting time. Is it because of distractions, overly manual processes, or a lack of focus? Then finding a tech solution will help keep you on track.
It’s worth spending money on solutions that you know work well for you. As such, the money saved in increased productivity can yield return on the investment.
Fortunately, many productivity boosters are free.
- Try a pomodoro technique timer on your laptop to focus your working time by taking scheduled breaks.
- Use Google Drive to share and edit documents, spreadsheets, and more with your team in real-time.
- Turn off notifications for your social media channels so you’re not getting distracted by pop-ups constantly, and instead schedule time to check them manually.
Tasks and email management help
Two frequent productivity wasters are task management and email inboxes. Luckily, we have tips on how to manage both for maximum efficiency.
If you’re heading into the office or your workspace every day without a plan, you’re starting off on the wrong foot. By planning ahead with a good task management system like Asana, you can start each workday with a concrete list of tasks to accomplish. This will help you with time management, and keep your project management running smoothly as well.
Watch: Task Management with Asana
You can also increase your productivity by managing your email inbox wisely.
For many business owners, email can become a huge productivity drain. You open your email to respond to just one message and suddenly, an hour has passed. Or you’re in the middle of a task that requires deep focus and you get thrown off-course by an email alert popping up.
Setting a structure and schedule for checking your email can help keep your mind on your tasks, increasing your ability to focus.
Watch: How to Manage Email
Making Meetings More Productive
Meetings are time-consuming – and a waste of time if they’re not efficient and goal-oriented. We’ve all sat through a meeting that could have (and should have) been an email. And meetings via Zoom during our current pandemic can suffer from serious technical issues that make them drag on, wasting valuable time.
If you could cut all your meetings down to the true necessities, how much time could you save for more important tasks?
Here are a few ways to make your meetings more productive:
Set an agenda
Never go into a meeting without a clear agenda of what you want to accomplish. List goals, objectives, and what topics you need to cover. Then make sure every meeting attendee gets a copy so you all stay focused and on track.
Pick the right time of day
Mid-afternoon meetings tend to be less focused, because of the after-lunch slump. Try to pick a time when you and your attendees will be alert and focused.
Follow up right away
Even a good meeting can be unproductive when post-meeting action items fall by the wayside. Set aside a few minutes after important meetings to follow up on any immediately actionable next steps.
Watch: How to Host Great Zoom Meetings
Top Three Productivity Hacks for Business Owners
Personal development and taking care of yourself are essential for everyone, especially entrepreneurs. Learning how to avoid distractions, gain more energy, and create a weekly schedule that works for you can go a long way in increasing productivity for business owners. Check out our top productivity tips in video form.
1. Reward Yourself the Right Way
Business owners have plenty of not-so-fun tasks on their plates every day. Whether it’s balancing budgets, dealing with difficult employees, or doing the long-term planning, you will get through tough tasks faster if you reward yourself the right way. Increase your productivity with a little external motivation.
Watch: Productivity Hack #1 – Rewarding Yourself
2. Imagine Your Ideal Week
Every person is different – we’re balancing different work and family obligations, learning different hobbies, and we have different times when our productivity is high or low. Organizing your work week around these commitments and your body’s own clock can increase your productivity and enjoyment of your work too, while making sure nothing gets left behind.
Watch: Productivity Hack #2 – Your Ideal Week
3. Get Unlimited Energy to Get Things Done
How much more productive could you be if you had more energy? And not the kind that comes from that extra cup of coffee – real, powerful energy and focus. With a few simple tweaks to your routine, you can increase your energy naturally and have more focus and drive to build your business.
Watch: Productivity Hack #3 – Get Unlimited Energy
Bottom Line: Increase Focus, Avoid Distractions
There’s no one simple solution for increasing productivity for business owners. That’s because every business, and every business owner, is different. But the main components of productivity are increasing your focus on the task at hand, and avoiding distractions from your work.
Finding ways that work for your individual preferences and lifestyle will make all the difference. It can help to map out how you usually find yourself getting distracted and losing focus (Social media notifications? An overflowing email inbox? Afternoon sleepiness?), and finding a solution to those issues as they arise. Don’t be afraid to make these tips your own!
Want More Productivity Tips for Business Owners?
Subscribe to our YouTube channel for weekly videos on productivity for business owners, marketing technology must-haves, digital marketing knowledge, and so much more.
Need Help Promoting Your Business via Digital Marketing?
Looking for an agency that gets you real, measurable results with attractive functional websites, great writing and a strong digital marketing strategy?
Schedule a free business review here to find out how we help businesses grow. You can use these insights for inspiration, and let us do the marketing for you.
Sources:
https://www.forbes.com/sites/9
