Small business productivity is significantly dependent on how best you can approach prioritization and time management. That, and staying focused is tough sometimes. It takes time, research, motivation, and a plan. And if you’re like the rest of us, sometimes, getting that little bit of motivation to sit down and be productive can be challenging.
Considering the starting and stopping that went into the completion of this blog post, I’m definitely not the authority on productivity and time management. But, I figured the research needed to write a few tips on the topic would be beneficial to those of us that struggle with making the most of the workday.
I dove into The Google and came out on the other side with several gems that I’m applying to my life as a senior marketing manager right away.
5 Tips to Help Make Your Small Business Productivity Soar
1. Plan Your Day
Make a plan and stick to it as best as you can. This is the only way that you know how much ground you covered for the day. Of course, things may arise that derail you, but the plan will help you get back on track. My plan for this afternoon is to 1) finish blog this post and 2) write client newsletter content and 3) run a client activity report. What’s your plan?
2. Block Out Distractions
I work with hilariously awesome people and there’s always a story, Facebook post or YouTube video to discuss. Before I know it, I’m sucked in and have lost 10 minutes of productivity. According to research from the University of California, Irvine, a typical office worker gets only 11 minutes between each interruption, while it takes an average of 25 minutes to return to the original task after an interruption. Time is money and businesses can’t afford distracted employees. When I need to focus, I wear my headphones and listen to SimplyNoise to block out the distractions around me. What methods help you concentrate amid distractions?
3. Overcome Task Paralysis
Do you ever feel like you have so many little tasks in front of you that they are keeping you from the one big thing you want to accomplish? The small things make me feel overwhelmed to the point that I make no progress and look back at my day and feel like I didn’t get anything done. Instead, prioritize chunks of your day for important work when you feel most alert and productive, and limit the amount of time for busy work. How will you jumpstart that big project and minimize busy work?
4. Perfectionism Leads To Procrastination
The Facebook company motto is “doing is better than perfect.” I love this motto! The desire for the perfect idea, the perfect plan, etc. is unrealistic and leads to procrastination. Get started, iterate and be okay with making mistakes and improvements along the way. Is your perfectionist streak getting in your way of small business productivity?
5. Ask For Help
Let’s face it…you’re a really great small business owner, but some of the work you may be holding on to should be handled by someone else to free up your time. Or sometimes, work piles up and you have a wonderful co-worker that would be willing to give you a hand. Let them! Make use of other people around you. You’ll be surprised how it fosters trust and camaraderie among a team that leans on each other for support. Who on your team can you ask for help?
There’s a ton of great resources and advice out there if you need an extra little nudge in the small business productivity department, be sure to check out these resources as well:
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