Take Control of Your Habits
When you run a business, especially a small business, it may feel like you’re always behind. At the end of many long days at work, you may feel like you should have gotten more done. You’re not alone; most small business owners would love to have a few extra hours in the day. Unfortunately, like everyone else, you only have 24. But, you can take control of your day-to-day habits in a way that will help you get the most out of the hours you have. The following is a list of basic practices which, if you make a conscious effort to adopt, will eventually become second-nature. The little things really do add up. Soon, you’ll find that your business is more efficient, more productive, and that you are less stressed.
Productivity-Increasing Practices
- Focus on a single task at a time. When it feels like you’re being pulled in a million different directions, it’s tempting to try to put out every fire at once. In reality, the idea multitasking is a bit of a myth. If you’re doing many things at once, you cannot do them well. Better to attack a single task thoroughly, and….
- …Delegate the rest! You hired talented employees; let them lead on tasks that play to their strengths. It will leave you more time to focus on your own workload, and many employees find the increased autonomy to be motivating. Satisfied employees are more productive.
- Plan out your schedule and your to-do list, every day. It may feel silly, if you think you already know what needs doing, or overwhelming if the list gets long, but it’s worth it. An organized plan helps you budget your time and prioritize your tasks.
- Make sure you have the appropriate software for your business’ operations. In one study by Microsoft, 55% of respondents directly linked their productivity levels to the quality of their software.
- Similarly, consider using an external or remote-access drive for all your employees. It’ll cut down on back-and-forth emailing of attachments, and miscommunications: everyone will literally be on the same page. Many online drives allow plenty of free storage space in the cloud, or offer other services for quite low fees.
- Make sure lines of communication are always open, and streamline your meetings. You and your employees will be more efficient if you can access information quickly, and reach each other easily. You may find that more frequent, quick updates are more productive than long, general meetings.