Time Saving Tips for Your Business

Every once in awhile I run across an article talking about the “50+ Best Time Saving Tips for Small Businesses” or “25 All-Time Best Ways to Save Time and Make More Money.”

Now, I love lists but these long lists always seem, well, sooo long. I’m a busy marketer and I don’t have time to do all fifty things at once to maybe save two minutes here or there. Of course, it’s all about creating a balanced routine, but I’m inclined to stick to a few tried and true methods that save time and keep me organized.

Form good habits in the office

Most people probably know that setting goals, prioritizing, and creating a plan are crucial elements to being productive. I find there are other good habits that need to be developed and put into practice around the office.

Here’s a quick rundown of things our agency likes to do to ensure we meet deadlines, stay organized, and stay sane! Whether it’s a big picture item or a daily productivity hack, let us know in the comments how you save time.

Time saving tips

Limit meetings

Meetings can be a very productive and essential way to communicate. However, they can also be huge time wasters if they are too long of too frequent. We tend to reject requests to hold a meeting that could easily be a covered in a quick email or phone call. In addition to only attending necessary meetings, it can be important to avoid travel time to and from meetings. You can achieve this by holding virtual meetings and using programs like Skype or GoToMeeting.

Utilize project management platforms

There’s a reason why millions of people use softwares like Basecamp or Asana. Work management tools like those honestly help keep the chaos at bay. They’re very useful for easily organizing projects, planning workflows, and keeping on schedule. They eliminate bottlenecks because it’s easy monitor team tasks, and teams are more accountable which means more tasks get done. Plus, they’re user-friendly and wonderful for working with clients, as well as internal communications. Assign group discussions in one place along with files and key information, ridding your team of endless chains of email.

Say no and learn to delegate

This can be a hard one to do, especially if a request is coming from a paying client or if you’re just starting out in your business. But it’s all about being realistic and not over-promising. Trying to ‘do it all’ can have negative ramifications No one wants rushed or sloppy work. Saying no, delegating relevant tasks to your team , and projecting a strategy for growing your team or outsourcing are crucial skills that will ultimately save you time.

Avoid distractions

Block distractions like emails, phone calls, and social messages. Set specific times aside for checking emails and going on social media. Rather than having your email constantly open, pick and choose when you’re going to check in and respond. Start your work day with twenty minutes of email, then check back in a few hours later. While you don’t want to miss an important message from a client, you also don’t want to be constantly multi-tasking and bouncing between one task and your inbox.

Take notes

This might not seem like much of a time-saving hack but I find it’s oh-so important in documenting everything in our hectic work lives. It can take serious brain power and attention to try and remember everything from a meeting or email thread. So write it down! Whether it be with a pen and paper or an app, capture your tasks and commitments.

Use management systems

Automation is an impactful tool for saving time and boosting productivity. It can look like different things, depending on your business, and can run the gamut – from automating payroll and invoicing to creating reports. Social media management systems, such as Sprout Social or Hootsuite, help streamline your digital marketing workload. Marketing automation softwares will simplify your marketing operations! Who doesn’t want that?

Turn it off, have structure and routine, manage meetings and you’ll have a more successful workday!