There are only 24 hours in a day, and even if we use all of that time effectively, it can still feel like we didn’t do enough. Everyone needs a break, but when you’re growing your startup, those are few and far between. Instead of sacrificing your mental health or productivity, use the following time management strategies that will help you get the most out of your week.
Use the Following Time Management Tips for Small Businesses
1. Stay Organized in a Way That Makes Sense to You
Organization is a personal thing. You don’t have to buy 15 file folders and color-code your documents to keep everything in order. Regardless of method, you still need an effective way to keep track of your business receipts, employee information, payroll records, and more. Be sure to track your work schedule, deadlines, and daily work activities on a paper or online calendar.
2. Automatically Monitor Social Media for Mentions of Your Brand
Businesses will often take on the bulk of the work themselves to save money. Unfortunately, when we save money, we often have to spend valuable time. Instead of looking up social mentions yourself, use a social media monitoring tool that can collect key data on your brand mentions, even if they misspell your name or forget to use hashtags or keywords.
3. Look at the Clock, but Don’t Obsess Over Time Spent
Obsessively checking the clock will stress you out, so don’t watch the minutes tick down if it causes anxiety. Still, to know how to use your time effectively, you need to pay attention to how long it takes for you to complete tasks. Set small goals for yourself to finish a project by a specific time, and try to break those records as you become more familiar with each job.
4. Set Hard Deadlines and Complete Them No Matter What
Some projects don’t have a deadline because no one is waiting for you to finish them. Unfortunately, some brains will categorize tasks without a deadline as “non-urgent,” which may cause you to put them off. If you need to finish a personal blog post on Wednesday, set that deadline on your calendar. Doing so will create urgency and make the task feel more real.
5. Avoid Multitasking and Minimize Distractions
Forget about multitasking because the average human brain isn’t capable of it. Only 2.5% of the population can multitask successfully without switching between tasks. In fact, multitasking makes you less efficient. Concentrate on one task at a time for optimal time management. To help prevent you from switching focus, remove all distractions from your desk and work area.
6. Do the Hardest, Most Critical Tasks First
The term “eat the frog” is used in entrepreneurial spaces to encourage you to tackle the hardest or more critical tasks as soon as you get up. If you have a job that will take all day to complete, you may hold off longer, pushing back your other tasks. To make more complex tasks more manageable, separate them into smaller parts and congratulate yourself after each step.
7. Make a To-Do List and Group Similar Tasks Together
We already discussed putting your hardest tasks at the beginning of the day, but you also have to create a general to-do list for your workday. Without it, you may not be as effective. You’ll get better at making to-do lists as you understand how long each task takes, making it easier to group similar jobs together, like emails, making phone calls, or updating your calendar.
8. Learn When to Say No and Take Breaks
At some point, you need to admit to yourself that you’re feeling overwhelmed and need to step away. It’s a fact that 90% of employees who take regular lunch breaks are more productive than those that don’t. Most business owners feel guilty stepping away or saying no, so work up to it. Say no to small tasks, like checking emails, and start adding 5-minute breaks each day.
