When it comes to running your small business, saving time is always a top priority. Days run away with you, hours slip by in what feels like seconds, and before you know it, you’re at the end of the day with a longer to-do list than ever.
As Virtual Assistants, we’ve like to put plenty of time saving tips in place to help our clients run their small business in a streamlined, efficient and stress-free (almost!) way.
Here are a few of our favourite time saving tips for you to try out…
Our Top Time Saving Tips
Batch Similar Tasks Together
Sometimes our days look like sending an email one minute, answering a call the next, hopping between ten different finance sheets and trying to upload a social media post all in the space of ten minutes. Feels productive, but are we actually getting much done? And why is it taking longer than it should?
As much as we like to think we’re all savvy, speedy multitaskers, our brains quite literally say otherwise. According to a study into the brain impact of multitasking, constantly shifting between tasks can waste as much as 40% of someone’s productive time. This is because each time you change tasks, your brain has to readjust itself to a new framework, wasting precious energy and time, and potentially leading to decision fatigue (you know the feeling!)
Hence why batching similar tasks together can have such a positive impact on time efficiency. Your brain is required to make fewer decisions, cognitive load is reduced, and focus is improved. This results in being able to complete more tasks in less time to a higher standard.
So, if you’re looking to save a bit of time, skip the multitasking and start batching those similar tasks together – works a treat!
Set Clear Boundaries for Focus Time
Anything that impacts your productivity is going to impact your time – and interruptions are perhaps the biggest productivity-plummeting, time-sucking culprit going. You’re just getting started on a task, and you’re interrupted by a flurry of emails. You deal with that, start up again, and the phone rings. You finish the call, go back to the task, and someone asks you a question from across the office. It really is never-ending!
In fact, a study conducted by the University of California found that office workers are interrupted, on average, every 11 minutes, leading to fragmented workdays, less overall productivity and decreased time efficiency.
So, when it comes to saving time, setting clear boundaries for focused time blocks can be hugely beneficial. This may be one or two hours per day where you let your team know you’re unavailable, pop your phone on Do Not Disturb and close your inbox. This allows you to focus solely on the tasks at hand, meaning you complete them in a short time frame and to a higher standard.
As soon as you’re done, you can catch up with any missed calls or emails, knowing that there isn’t a half finished task waiting for your attention.
Outsource Small Tasks
When you’re trying to free up some of your time, outsourcing a few bits and bobs seems like the obvious answer. So why are we often so reluctant to do so?
As small business owners, it’s common to feel the pressure of needing to do everything yourself. You don’t want to relinquish control to someone else and it’s your business – surely you should be able to manage everything that comes with running one?
While you most definitely can, you most definitely don’t have to. Doing everything yourself, including small tasks like admin or social media scheduling, consumes more hours than you realise and can really eat into your day if you’re not careful. Taking the plunge and outsourcing those tasks – or anything that doesn’t need your direct input or attention – can help you save huge amounts of time. It’ll eliminate that chasing-your-tail feeling and free up chunks of your day for focusing on core business functions that aid growth.
If you’re constantly feeling pushed for time, consider outsourcing a few smaller tasks as a starting point – you’ll notice the difference almost instantly.
Embrace Microbreaks
When you’re trying to save time, taking a break may seem counterproductive. Surely it’s better to just keep powering through and get more done? Well science says otherwise. Research from the University of Illinois found that taking breaks can prevent attention fatigue, improving performance on extended cognitive tasks. AKA, taking breaks can reduce the time it takes to complete tasks, and allow you to complete them to a higher standard.
And the good news is, microbreaks (as the name suggests!) won’t take up too much of your time. The idea is to take a 5-10 minute break for every 45-50 minutes of deep focus work. This gives your brain time to refresh, restores your ability to pay attention and reduces cognitive overload. When your break is over, you feel more productive, motivated and capable of completing the task at hand.
A small change in the way you work really can make a big difference when it comes to saving time.
Save Time with The Edwards Company
Saving time when you’re running a small business takes practice, but it is most definitely possible. If you often find yourself pushed for time and could do with taking a few tasks off your plate, consider outsourcing some of your smaller tasks to our brilliant Virtual Assistant team.
They’re experienced in supporting small businesses with credit control, accounts support, admin and content creation and would be happy to help.
Check out our website for more information and get in touch.