Time. As a business owner, it is the one thing we wish we had more of. It can sometimes feel like there is not enough time in the day to achieve everything we need to. However, because there is only a limited amount of time in the day, we need to ensure we are maximising the time we have available.
Set goals
As we know, it is hard to stay focused when we don’t have a clear direction and purpose for what we are doing. That is why knowing what you want to achieve and how you’re going to get there is vital. Thus, the first step to improving your time management skills is to set yourself clear goals that’ll guide your actions.
Creating a clear set of goals, that are both achievable and challenging, will help you stay accountable and motivated as you work through your day and week.
While having large long-term goals is useful as they provide you with a prize at the end of the tunnel, it is important you break these down into shorter-term goals. Creating short-term goals will allow you to track and measure the progress you are making each day, week or month.
Pick a system and commit to it
If you are seeking to improve your time management, chances are you’ll be able to find countless options to help you. Between specific software, online apps, calendars or people you follow, you’ll find something for you.
However, it doesn’t matter if you choose to invest in an online progress tracker or you write out a to-do list each day, stick to this method. Half the battle of keeping yourself on track is finding something that works for you, buying into it and seeing it out.
When are you most productive?
Everyone has their own way of doing things. What is yours? Are you a morning person, who is full of energy as soon as you wake up, thus, you get your best work done in the morning. Or are you a night owl, who operates best under the cover of darkness?
Understanding when you operate at your best could do wonders for your overall productivity. Thus, try to schedule your work days around these cycle. Attend to your daily admin, reply to emails, schedule meetings in your downtime, and schedule your important work for those times you are at your best.
Record your time
There are two main reasons why tracking your time is a great idea. Firstly, it will help you stay focused on the task you are working on at that moment. By providing yourself with a specific timeframe to complete a task you’ll be less tempted to let your mind run-off.
Secondly, tracking your time throughout the day will help you understand exactly where your time is being spent. From an overall efficiency standpoint, this could be an eye-opening practice as you may discover you are wasting your time on nonessential tasks, which is costing you money. And, at the end of the day, as a business owner, time is money.
Seeking help
As a business owner, chances are you enjoy having a lot on your plate. However, there will come a time when your plate is too full, which may mean it is time to look at bringing in some help.
Making the decision to delegate can be a daunting task for business owners. It is the process of bringing some else in to help you with your baby. But, it is also a good thing.
The best place to start is to look at the tasks that are important to your operations but that don’t require your full attention. Then it is about finding the right person or system to bring onboard to help you out. Maybe you need to bring on a social media freelancer or implement CashManager by Accomplish to automate your accounting. Whatever it is, don’t be afraid of seeking help.
While everything we have talked about is in general terms, remember that you need to find what works best for you and your situation. If you try to fit your working style into something that doesn’t work for you, chances are you’ll burn out and be back to square one.
If you are searching for a way to improve your accounting operations, CashManager by Accomplish is ideal for you. With our easy to use online software, you will have complete viability over your business’ financial health.
To find out how CashManager can improve your accounting and bookkeeping, click here.