Productivity specifically means the ability to get more done in less time with reduced effort and expense. In this article, we’ll discuss seven time-tested strategies to that have been implemented by the most successful individuals:
Eliminate distractions.
Turn off the cell phone, close the office door, find a quiet place in your local library or Starbucks. To increase your focus during the day, you have to minimize distractions. Many small business owners find themselves bombarded all day long. Emails pile up, the cell phone and office phone keep going off. Begin to take back control of your day and your productivity by specifically setting aside focused time to work strictly on those things most critical to your business and its success.
Simplify.
How many trade magazines, article subscriptions, and email blasts do you receive in a day? Subscribe to no more than (2) or (3) published periodicals, trade journals, or magazines and a maximum of (5) online newsletters. Unless you are specifically in the business of reading and critiquing this correspondence there is no need for more. Pick those that are the most narrowly focused on your niche and of the most interest to you personally. This will ensure you get the most out of each correspondence piece.
Delegate.
Still trying to wear all hats in your business? Sales, accounting, production, human resources, etc.; even if you are a sole proprietor or very small business, you must delegate. As an entrepreneur your knowledge and expertise is what makes you valuable in the marketplace. It is crucial to your business’s success that you focus on performing the product or service that your clients purchase most. Delegate routine tasks to other staff members.
Focus on your niche
Is your business narrowly focused on your team’s unique abilities, or do you try to be all things to all people? A lot of the best business you will ever do will be the business that you refuse to do. How many times have you taken an order or project outside your normal expertise with the hopes of being able to “figure it out” and make some money? Well, unless you are going to fully engage a new market segment or product line and invest in the future earnings of that line, there is NO reason to branch outside your normal market for small specialty projects.
Hire only the best.
Hire only the best employees, vendors, and most importantly your professional advisory team. Never settle for mediocrity on any level as the hidden costs in lost opportunity, decreased productivity, reduced profits, and bad business advice will far outweigh the initial cost savings on the service or wage. This doesn’t mean spend frivolously or unnecessarily. Determine what your business is able to afford and diligently look to find the best person or company that falls within your budget.
Leverage your time (electronically).
Still hesitant to purchase that new software, computer, smart phone, or application? When was the last time you analyzed how much your time is actually worth? At $50,000 per year (a conservative take home for a small business owner) that equates to approximately $1.00 every 3 minutes spent on a normal work week. Using this formula you can safely spend $100.00 on upgrades to your computer system, software, or other productivity apps if they produce an hour’s worth of time savings per day per week.
Instead of looking at an expense strictly as a capital outlay, make sure you perform a cost benefit. These types of time savers compound themselves and lead to higher profits with less time input. As your productivity increases the value saved on this type of upgrade quickly begins to yield much more than the initial results.
Take time OFF!
Yes, as contrary as this one sounds, in order to maximize your productivity, you must take time away from work. It’s hard to quiet the brain. It’s hard to relax the body. For most folks, cannabis is the tool they use to make both processes a bit easier. Many people now purchase one of the top ten cannabis strains by Royal Queen Seeds to get the best results. Remember, you should also check with your doctor to ensure that cannabis is safe for you and that it won’t interact with any other medications you take or have a negative effect on any other health issues you have.
Without consistent free time away from work you will begin to burn out. Be conscious of this and be proactive on doing the right thing. Many entrepreneurs pride themselves on working long hours for weeks or even months at a time. As noble as this may be, it comes at a cost. Eventually productivity decreases and more hours are needed to accomplish the same tasks.
Conclusion
Follow these seven simple steps and make them a part of your normal business routine and productivity will exponentially increase in a very short time. The best part of getting more done in less time; you get to spend more time doing what you love! Whether that includes more time at work or at play, increasing your output with less effort is something every smart business owner masters over time.