Who wouldn’t want a few extra hours in a day? Especially a business owner like you, who could achieve so much more with it! We know the Admin Hub ladies have often wished for a Bernard’s Watch to stop time for a little while. But since pausing time isn’t possible just yet, you need to get a little more creative if you want the extra time. As Virtual Assistants, we know a thing or two about efficiency, so we wanted to share some tips to find some extra time in your day.
Organise Your Data
Being unorganised could be costing you and your business a lot more time than you realise. Don’t believe us? Every time you have to find information this week, time how long it takes you. We bet it will add up quickly, and you’ll be shocked by the number at the end! Keeping your databases up-to-date, organising your files and staying on top of your accounts can save you minutes each time you need to search, and as we’ve already established, that time adds up! The same goes for your accounts- untangling all of that information and sorting it all in one sitting can take hours -whereas doing things as you go can win you back a lot of time. And if you’ve fallen so behind on your organisational tasks that you can’t face handling them, why not hire a VA to get you back on the wagon?
Streamline Your Processes
What would your answer be if we asked you why you do things the way you do? if it’s anything along the lines of ‘I’ve always done it that way’ – you need to reevaluate. It’s time to review, analyse and redesign any of those time-consuming processes. You probably changed and grown a lot since you started, and with a few tweaks, many tasks could take half the time. Look into software that could make life easier for you by streamlining or automating your processes, and save you even more time.
Find Your Productive Time
And work in it! Everyone has a time of day they are most productive, alert and focused. for some people it’s first thing in the morning, and they’ll crash after lunch. Others are true night owls and prefer to work into the wee hours of the morning. One of the big perks of running your own business is being able to set your own working patterns. And since you’ll get more done in that productive time than you would sticking to a rigid pattern, you’ll find yourself with more time and more productivity. Incidentally, that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t work at all in your less productive time. It just means you should front-load all of the most important and difficult tasks into that productive time, and use your less productive time for the less taxing Jobs.
Remove Interruptions
In our technology-fuelled world, it’s impossible not to be interrupted Even if you’re not at your desk, your phone is in your pocket ready to chirp when you get an email or call at any moment. Add into that app notifications, texts and even news reports. If you’re easily distracted this is a recipe for disaster! so limit your access to things that could distract you by switching off your devices, or turning them to aeroplane mode. Keep your emails closed while yours working to keep the annoying pings at bay, and you’ll be amazed at how much more you get done. If you’re worried about not responding to emails quickly, you can add a note to your email signature about only checking your emails periodically, or even set an autoresponder. Don’t know how? Ask a VA! Speaking of which…
Hire A VA
Most importantly, know your limits. Recognise when its time to bring in some support with running your business. If you’ve managed to do all of the above and still don’t have enough hours in the day, your next step is hiring a VA. A VA will be able to take a lot of those time-consuming day-to-day tasks and free up more time in your day. Plus, it’s a flexible, affordable alternative to hiring your own staff.
At Your Admin Hub, we provide business owners with the flexible support they need to claw back time in their days and find that all-important work-life balance. If that sounds good to you, just get in touch with the team today to see what magic we can achieve together.