Do you have enough time away from your business to really enjoy life?
One of the biggest challenges my clients deal with is finding the time to enjoy life. They get caught up in running their business and can’t find a way to make the changes necessary to own their business. All too often, their business owns them.
My clients aren’t the only ones who struggle with this. A survey by OnDeck showed that only 57% of business owners take vacations. The hard truth? Even when they do take time off, most of those vacations will be shorter than the two week breaks most company employees take.
What’s more, 67% of business owners check in with the business every day of the week.
They get caught up in running their business and can’t find a way to make the changes necessary to own their business. All too often, their business owns them.
That’s not what I call enjoying life.
The tricky part is finding the time to take off. But it can be done! You don’t have to live for your business. It’s possible to turn your business into a well-oiled machine that supports your ideal life!
5 Savvy Ways to Make Your Business Run More Efficiently
Delegate
The first thing you need to realize is that you don’t have to do everything. In fact, you shouldn’t! I know this is tough because you believe no one else will be able to match your level of dedication. But delegation is key to your sanity. There are plenty of smaller tasks that make up your day, which could easily be completed by somebody else. Taking these kinds of things off your plate will free up more time for you to do what’s important—including enjoying time away from the office.
The best thing about delegating is you can turn over the tasks you dread to someone who actually enjoys doing them! Now, that is savvy!
Automate
Automation might seem a little daunting at first because there is a cost and time investment involved to get it set up. Once it’s in place, though, you’ll be amazed at how much more smoothly those processes run. If you’re worried it may negatively impact your employees, refocus on the bigger picture. Employees freed up from repetitive tasks through automation will be able to put their talents to better use.
Single Task
We used to believe multi-tasking was smart. Why do just one thing when you can do several all at once? The answer is because although we may complete several things at once, none of them are done well. And, multi-tasking saps our energy. Our mind thrives when it can hone in on only one task. To make better use of your day, batch tasks that are alike in some way. For example, return calls in the afternoon at a particular time rather than spreading them throughout the day. Set aside the first and last hour of the day to read and respond to emails. These small changes will improve your focus, so you are more efficient.
Become More Adaptable
Nothing wastes time more than trying to force a new process into an old format. When you’ve always done things a certain way, it’s easy to believe the old tried-and-true method is the best or only way to accomplish the task.
However, changes don’t always fit into old ways, especially as other components, such as innovation in technology, advance. It’s so incredibly important to learn how to adapt. As your business needs change, your processes will likewise need to be modified. Don’t limp along just because it feels safer.
Become Tool Savvy
One excellent way to adapt and improve your efficiency is to learn about the always-changing new tools available in your industry. To stay productive and competitive, you need the right tools for the job—no matter what that job is.
Often I see my clients stressed out by using clunky, old-fashioned tools or wasting time trying to adopt the “new” tool even when it doesn’t make sense for the business. They are frustrated and wasting vast amounts of time and revenue because they are forcing a process to work with outdated tools or using overly complicated tools. There is a balance that needs to be struck between effective tools and time need to use them correctly. You need to know what outcome you desire and then spend the time to find the right tool.
Those who heed my advice and carve out the time to discover the correct tools quickly see that the investment of time and money are not as expensive as they thought. When they do the math, they realize streamlined tools can actually save money in the long run because they won’t be paying employees to use antiquated or overly complicated tools that take twice as long to complete the work.
When was the last time you questioned the tools you are using in your business? Are they serving your business needs? If it’s been a while, do yourself a favor and take a couple of hours to do just that. Your entire business can run more smoothly and more cost-effectively.
By making use of these tips, you’re soon going to find the joy of working smarter over working harder. A savvy entrepreneur always comes out on top, with plenty of time to enjoy life once their business is running efficiently.
Not sure where to start? I can help with that! Tap here here to set up a free consultation. It’s your first savvy step in taking control of your business and enjoying your life.
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