Many SMEs even believe that more than the hours of a day is needed to do everything. In a small, rapidly growing company, the founder often bends over backward. Unfortunately, working day and night risks not giving the deserved attention to projects or activities that deserve it. The Internet is full of tips for effective time management, each more valuable than the last. But how can they be helpful if you need more time to read all this information? Below you will find five quick practical tips.
Always Try To Plan
Proper planning is a prerequisite for managing time more efficiently. Take 5 or 10 minutes each day to plan your schedule. Whether you use a sheet of paper or an electronic tool, it is crucial to remember the deadlines. Use a calendar that you always have with you, such as a mobile app on your phone. Remember that the unexpected can always arise: make sure you have enough time between projects, especially considering the worst case.
Always Keep Track Of Your Time
Let’s start with the idea that time is money – for you and your customers: this way, you can define your priorities better. By considering how much time you have to devote to a project, you will better understand the specific difficulties and how to use the time available in the most efficient way possible. Also, by paying more attention to how you organize your time, you will be able to focus better on essential activities and put off what is optional. Be warned: some clients appreciate precise project proposals or detailed invoices. In their eyes, it is a confirmation of the company’s professionalism.
Avoid Micromanagement
Micro-management is not only labor intensive but also inefficient. Hire collaborators you can trust and then put your trust in them. Train them, motivate them by interviewing them, give them your feedback and get them to do their job. At first glance, micro-management might seem like a choice without contraindications, but being constantly supervised by the direct superior could undermine the sense of initiative and the involvement of individual employees. If you step back by inspiring your employees, they’ll gain the experience, knowledge, and skills they need to do their best work. Please allow them to complete projects independently, continuously supporting them with your insights so they can learn from your experience.
Make The Most Of The Time You Dedicate To Waiting And Traveling
Working in one location has gone down in history, and now you don’t even have to sit around in a waiting room or on the train anymore. We all agree that analyzing mountains of documents is not even considered, but who still uses so much paper? Thanks in part to modern technology, it’s almost impossible to waste time now. For example, why not share documents on the cloud? Just think of videoconference meetings or mobile apps that allow you to manage your agenda or customer data anytime, anywhere.
Automate As Much As Possible
And if you want to grow, you must stop doing everything by hand. Create templates for email traffic and recurring documents such as invoices, quotes, product descriptions, and payment reminders. And, of course, in today’s world, you also can’t afford the luxury of losing sight of your customers. A CRM tool like Teamleader could be right for you: you can instantly find a quote, connect an email to the correct contact and analyze turnover data, all automatically, and you can also generate projects from quotes and invoices from projects in a single click.
