Do you feel like your business is taking over your life? Does it seem as though there are never enough hours in the day to get everything done? If this sounds familiar, then it’s time to start thinking about how you can buy back some of your time. Remember, time is money and as a business owner, it’s important that you invest your hours wisely. Let’s take a look at four easy ways you can buy back time in your business.
#1 – Outsourcing
Outsourcing work can be a great option because it frees up your own time to focus on high-value tasks. Best of all, there’s virtually no limit to the tasks that you can outsource. You can easily outsource tasks such as:
- General admin
- Inbox management
- Copywriting
- Content management
- Social media management
- Video content creation
- Customer Support
- Graphic design
- Research
- Shipping and logistics
- Bookkeeping
Outsourcing isn’t just beneficial for you as a business owner – it could also make life a lot easier for your team, resulting in higher morale and more engagement.
#2 – Time Tracking Software
The good news: technology has given us more options than ever before when it comes to managing our time and workload. The bad news: we all too often fall back on using only a few outdated tools, such as email, spreadsheets and calendars. In reality, it’s only by taking advantage of new technologies like specially designed time tracking software that you can truly get more out of your day.
Time tracking software allows you to track exactly how much time is being spent on each task, which makes it an ideal solution for business owners with many team members or contractors working under them. The benefits are instant: just by knowing where your time goes, you’ll be able to make smarter decisions about how to reallocate your time.
The Pareto Principle suggests that 20% of your tasks will account for 80% of the results. By identifying which tasks really move the needle and which are unnecessary, you can focus on completing only those that truly matter to the success of your business. This allows you to eliminate or outsource lower value tasks and concentrate on the actions that generate real results.
#3 – Automate Manual Processes
If you’ve ever said to yourself, “I wish I didn’t have to do this,” chances are there’s a manual process in your business that can be automated. The good news is that most of the time it doesn’t take an IT genius or expensive software development team to automate simple processes – often all it takes is using an online app or software program.
Automation is a great way to free up your time and avoid the frustration of tedious manual tasks, so start looking for ways to automate what you do now by:
- Creating templates for frequently used documents
- Saving common email responses as draft messages
- Automating social media posts
- Scheduling out blog content in advance
- Setting up recurring reports and invoices
You’ll be surprised at just how much time you can save by automating even the simplest of tasks. Just remember, no amount of technology or apps will ever replace people. It’s important to have a plan for who is responsible for an automated process after it has been set up.
#4 – Systemizing Everything
Robust systems are the foundation of every successful business. They’re what allow you to automate manual processes, delegate lower value tasks and stay focused on achieving your goals.
If you don’t already have a clear system in place for everything that happens in your business, now is the time to start developing one – even if it’s just at a basic level. This will save you hours of time and frustration every single day.
Summary
There are many ways that you can buy back time in your business. You can start by outsourcing work, utilizing time tracking software and apps, automating manual processes, and systematizing everything! All of these strategies will help you spend less time on routine work so that you’re free to focus your attention where it matters most, such as spending more time working on growth and strategy rather than getting bogged down in the weeds.
