There’s no denying that owning a small business often involves working around the clock. But in many cases, an endless work schedule has less to do with making deadlines than it does with sinking hours into menial tasks.
Luckily, there’s no shortage of strategies to consolidate days spent on administration and focus your efforts on reaching big-picture goals. Here are three habits you might consider implementing if you’re looking to cut down on admin time.
Commit to a daily plan
In Managing Actions, a white paper by Adapt Training Solutions, personal productivity expert Dermot Crowley makes a powerful case for committing to a daily plan. For Crowley, mapping out your daily workload in the morning lets you identify your priorities and commitments and better allocate your time. It also lets you slot in a period that’s devoted to administration rather than allowing these tasks to pile up over the course of the week. Devoting 30 minutes a day to duties like bookkeeping, scheduling and processing invoices will help you tackle the workload in small increments rather than letting it take over your life.
Master the art of proactive scheduling
Dealing with administrative duties as they crop up is a reactive habit that can waste time and make you feel like you’re not in control. Crowley says proactive scheduling, a strategy that empowers you to deal with tasks in a planned and focused manner, is key to optimising productivity and taking charge of your time. Think about using a centralised system like Microsoft Outlook or Apple Calendar to break administrative demands into actionable steps. Slotting these duties into the hours in which you’re most productive – such as early mornings or late afternoons – will streamline your ability to complete these tasks.
Don’t be afraid to outsource
Sometimes, spending hours on administration can prevent you from completing or securing high-value work. In this case, outsourcing tasks that are menial but necessary – such as bookkeeping, chasing debts or diary management – can help you reclaim precious hours. Delegating tasks doesn’t just cut down on admin time, it can also carve out space for your business to grow. Outsourcing can free up the time and resources to steer your business in the right direction and increase your sense of control.
Admin might be an unavoidable part of running a business, but it doesn’t have to engulf your working life. By taking a more strategic approach to managing menial tasks, you can not only streamline admin, but potentially boost your bottom line.
Just as mapping out your daily workload helps you better allocate your time, it’s important to have a clear direction for your business from the get-go. Here, business coach, strategist and author Stefan Kazakis shares the merits of planning ahead to achieve your long-term goals.
