Sometimes, getting things done isn’t as simple as it seems. Small businesses, and their owners, face many challenges that can eat away at their time efficiency. This problem is particularly prominent for growing companies that need to establish a real system for time management instead of just rolling with the punches.
Make Actionable Plans
Passive planning is a common mistake among small business owners and it can really hamper your ability to get things done. Plans should always be actionable. There should be discrete, achievable, and quantifiable objectives set for different time frames, including the current week, month, and year. Your plans should be set to achieve specific short, mid, and long-term goals.
Delegate with a Goal
Just like with planning, it’s also important to learn how to delegate with a clear goal. Employees or contractors that you work with need to know exactly what they need to do and what is expected of them for each delegated project. You should also know why you want these particular goals and understand how each one of them is essential to building value for your business.
Embrace Digital Solutions
Every modern company should embrace digital solutions to some extent, even if they aren’t in a high-tech industry. Facilitating team communication is a common reason to embrace these innovations, but it’s not the only one. Project management software can also vastly improve your ability to coordinate efforts across your business seamlessly. This software allows you to schedule, coordinate and communicate through each project stage using a single, convenient interface.
Analyze and Improve
People often say that hindsight is 20/20, which is why you shouldn’t hesitate to look back before you step forward. Every small business owner makes mistakes and plenty of them. The key is to learn from your mistakes by carefully and honestly analyzing what you are doing. This allows you to make meaningful improvements for next time. Big companies conduct project and employee reviews on a regular basis, and you should too. Review yourself, your systems, processes, and team members. Don’t be afraid to ask for input from employees so you can learn from their experiences as well.
Things don’t just get done by themselves. Simply going day to day may work when you first launch a business, but it’s not a sustainable or efficient way to run a company. You need to take the time to plan effectively, adopt new solutions and consistently improve your methods if you really want to make the most of your time.
Bio: Rachelle Wilber is a freelance writer living in the San Diego, California area. She graduated from San Diego State University with her Bachelor’s Degree in Journalism and Media Studies. She tries to find an interest in all topics and themes, which prompts her writing. When she isn’t on her porch writing in the sun, you can find her shopping, at the beach, or at the gym. Follow her on Twitter and Facebook: @RachelleWilber; https://www.facebook.com/people/Rachelle-Wilber/100009221637700/
