Time Saving Tips for Entrepreneurs

As an entrepreneur, what defines your business as successful? Most of us would answer by how fast our businesses have grown. Also as entrepreneurs, we tend to wear many hats. Our greatest enemy and most loyal friend is time. It’s our most valuable resource, but seems to always be in demand.

So, while we roll up our sleeves with determination to get things done, let’s uncover some time-saving tips shared by successful entrepreneurs. They all agree that time management is key to running a successful business of any size. The following tips are meant to be simple, time-saving, and easy to implement.

Back to Basics

Technology has changed the game for entrepreneurs. It’s available 24/7, full of free but useful information and tools, and within arms reach at most times of the day. Multiple time-saving apps are available for phones and computers. However, as we know, downloading a time-saving app doesn’t provide us with more than 24 hours a day and not all tasks can be completed using them. As useful and convenient as they might be, they are not error proof. Have you ever scheduled a notification for a meeting on the wrong date? How about mistakenly placing an important task list in the wrong folder?

Paper and pen may seem old-fashioned, but they still work! If you have a handful of tasks you’d like to accomplish, make a list the night before. The next day, as tasks are completed, literally cross them off of your list! This will help with prioritizing and spending the appropriate amount of time accordingly. Here are some key elements to creating a task list:

• Jot down the date
• List a realistic amount of tasks to complete the following day (don’t overload yourself)
• Specify a place for scheduled meetings
• Check your completed tasks periodically to track your time (about every hour or so)
• Summarize your day with a quick recap
• Prioritize each task and complete them accordingly
• Cross off each tasks for a sense of accomplishment/achievement

There’s An App for That

Now, although we just discussed the confusion that can be caused from using technology, it doesn’t mean that it doesn’t offer any benefits. Many tools have been created to specifically automate tasks that were designed to assist with productivity and efficiency.

Entrepreneurs have expressed that using a versatile app called IFTTT (if this, then that https://ifttt.com/) has become a favorite time-management tool of many. The service is free, and it allows you to automate everyday tasks. Here are some recipes used by other business owners:

• Use voicemail to add a calendar event
• Send email attachments to a specified cloud service
• Email to-do list that triggers an alarm or reminder alert
• Automatically track your time usage
• Share to your social media accounts without opening the apps
• Create and share meeting notes

Take a Break

How many days have you felt like everyone else is on vacation while you’re burning the candle on both ends of the day? For us entrepreneurs, we equate being busy with being productive. But this isn’t exactly true. Depriving yourself of taking breaks actually harms your level of productivity.

Successful entrepreneurs have shared a favorite time-saving tool called the Pomodoro Technique. Here’s how to use it:

• Pick a task; it can be a large project or an errand.
• Set a timer for 25 minutes, vowing to yourself to remain focused and not become distracted during this time.
• Work on said task until the timer chimes. If another task becomes necessary, write it down and return to it later.
• When your time is up, take a short break. Reward yourself after the fourth completed Pomodoro tasks with a longer break.

Delegate, delegate, DELEGATE

Entrepreneurs constantly find themselves in situations that require our versatility. As a small business owner, you can be the accountant, marketing manager, cashier, and janitor all in one day. However, to be truthful, we are all just ONE person. Challenging yourself to tackle all needed tasks is counterproductive. Not only can someone else get it done faster, they may even do it better. Therefore, delegating some of your tasks gives you more time to focus on building your empire.

Organization is Key

Sounds too simple to be true, right? Many entrepreneurs forget the added benefits of simply keeping your desk and/or workspace clean and organized. A messy desk directly impacts our ability to work productively. Did it take you 10 minutes to find a pen, then when you did, you forgot what you wanted to write down? Or how about that post-it note with your recently updated password that’s fallen behind the desk into the abyss? Here is a list of some simple steps to take to keep your workstation free from clutter:

• Create a system and stick to it. Learn what to do with new documents and designate areas to store paperwork.
• If it doesn’t serve a purpose, remove it. Unneeded items are just that, unneeded.
• Spend 10 minutes a day straightening up rather than 90 minutes cleaning a messy desk covered with last month’s agendas.

These are just a few tips to help you to save time, as well as to help you not to burn out. I will be sharing more tips in future posts on how to be a healthy minded entrepreneur. If you have tips to save us entrepreneurs time, please share by commenting below.

Work Cited

“Best Time-Saving Tips from Successful Entrepreneurs.” CoverWallet, https://www.coverwallet.com/business-tips/time-saving-tips-from-entrepreneurs.