Are administrative tasks distracting you from your real work? Manage time at work and increase profitability.
If you’re running a small business, you likely have a lot of responsibilities that sidetrack you from your real job that earns you an income. But business functions like bookkeeping, filing, and follow-up calls are critical to profitability. Here are some important tips:
Don’t Try to Do It All at Once
Multitasking is a tricky art. A study in the Journal of Experimental Psychology: Human Perception and Performance (Vol. 27, No. 4) indicates that multitasking may actually be less efficient. Shifting the kind of work that you do requires extra energy and focus; doing so multiple times a day can be draining. If you’re always “putting out fires”, you’re not going to get as much accomplished.
Automate Your Duties
The trick is to schedule certain tasks at regular times of the week or month, so you get it all done in the same work session. For instance, you might schedule your invoicing to be done for the middle and last days of every month. Schedule regular filing for the third Tuesday of every month, and follow-up phone calls to contacts (new and old) for two hours twice a week. Whatever the activity, it doesn’t really matter when you do it, so long as it becomes a regular, easy-to-remember part of your schedule so you can’t procrastinate.
Stay Focused
As performance expert Adam Fraser notes, “what we have to do is start to control our environment and minimize distractions – turn the technology off, set aside times of the day to focus on work, and practice being present, even in conversations.”
Manage Time
Building time management systems into your business will help you be more productive. The first step in developing your schedule is defining the measurable priorities and tasks that you must do for your business and coming up with reasonable time estimates to plug into your calendar.
If you need help with that first step, make it your first scheduled task to consult with an expert to make it happen.
