productivity is how our efforts is being measured.
Productivity is the main essence of a business, either a small-scale or large-scale business. Most times, when it’s not a bad or stressful day, we find ourselves wishing there were more than 24 hours in a day to either keep the moment longer or give more time to clear up our piled workload and meet a target.
When thinking of starting a business, lots of people always associate it with flexible schedules that will give them the liberty to do what they like at any time, take vacations anytime, and have minimal workload. I’m here to tell you running a business is the total opposite of your imagination unless you are not so keen on the productivity and growth of such a business.
Running a business can be overwhelming with having to manage unending tasks, meet targets, be in charge of workers, and still have time for a social life. There is a line between being ‘busy’ and being ‘productive.’
Here are five tips to help a busy business owner be productive.
time management
As mentioned earlier, 24 hours a day might not be enough for most of us, including those with a busy schedule. A strict schedule can be helpful, where each task gets a timeframe for accomplishment. You can arrange them based on how important or how time-sensitive they are to be able to meet the target when due. Most of all, learn to stick to the time and not get distracted. Let’s assume that writing a blog post is the priority on your list.
Set the time frame to complete it between 9 a.m. and 11 a.m., depending on when you start your day. During these hours, you don’t attend to anything else that has nothing to do with the blog post you are writing, and you also don’t exceed the 11 a.m. time limit you’ve set for completion and moving on to the next. It curbs multitasking, which leads to divided attention and can finally lead to mistakes.
delegate your workload
‘No man is an island is a common saying, and it applies to business also. As a growing venture, the workload becomes heavier, and at this point, you’d need the assistance of other people. Share the tasks with your employees if you have any. If not, adopt technologies that can complete simple tasks for you, like simplifying communications, editing documents, file arrangement, etc. It will help ease your workload and allow you time for other workloads.
Do not take on more workload than you can handle. Employing people with expertise in particular aspects is advisable, such as social media management, graphic designing, branding, customer service, website designing, and so much more.
stay organized
This is very critical in being productive. No matter how massive your workload is, always ensure to stay organized. Learn to declutter, which means to create free space for tasks with great significance. Find a planning system you love and stick to it. You can also adopt the usage of project management software packages such as Google Calendar to help set goals for some time.
- Each task should be listed according to priority.
- Compile a to-do list for both your personal and work life separately.
- Set reminders.
- Cancel off tasks completed to keep track of the ones left.
- Keep your workspace clean and free of clutters or litter.
stay committed and focused
As a business owner, before any of the steps mentioned earlier can work, being focused and committed to what you do is essential. Productivity is difficult to achieve with nonchalance. Set a personal goal for yourself and work towards achieving it. You could create a financial objective for your company, leaving you no choice but to stay focused on productivity to achieve the goal. Take every target with seriousness because it determines the growth of your venture.
Putting these targets in words in a journal and reviewing them constantly as a reminder to ensure you stay on track will help in achieving them. It makes the goal less intimidating and more achievable. Define what is important to you that is your business, and do not be swayed by other unimportant activities.
Leaving your comfort zone to a co-working station can also be really helpful.
rest
Lastly, after all is said and done, the most critical part is REST. A tired person can never be productive. As said, a business can be overwhelming, but creating time for you to relax and let your brain do some formatting and rebooting is also very significant. It is only a clear head that can think of new ideas that will aid productivity and growth. Go somewhere more relaxing and far away from anything work-related. Prioritize your mental and physical health always.
- You can start by setting a strict bedtime.
- Taking an hour’s break during the day.
- Finding stress relief outlets when a task becomes too difficult, such as walking, talking with a friend, listening to music, and so much more.
- Taking vacations within budget and reasonable timeframe. Give your business the chance to stand on its own without you.
- Create time to socialize with yourself.
- Create a friendly bond with boundaries with your co-workers.
- Exercise and stretch.
Ultimately, we all have the same hours of the day, but it depends on how you manage yours, which determines how productive it will be.
These five steps are easy to implement, and you’ll realize in no time how effective they’ve proven to help you be productive despite your busy schedule.
It will help you leave your work area each day feeling fulfilled with the knowledge that you’ve achieved a lot for the day.
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