When you’re first starting out as an entrepreneur, there is a lot that you need to handle. Practically every aspect of the business is on your shoulders, and as such, you have a lot of different balls in the air. In order to make these early processes a little simpler, it’s important that you improve your efficiency. Improving your efficiency will allow you to get more done, without having to sacrifice any of those balls in the air. Here are just a few ways that a new entrepreneur can increase their day to day efficiency.
Remove Distractions
For starters, you need to remove distractions from your life. Many entrepreneurs start out working from home, which is filled with all sorts of distractions. Maybe the TV is on, or your dog needs to go out, or the pile of dishes in the sink just keeps catching your eye. You need to find a way to remove all of these distractions so that you can focus on your work.
If you can, have a separate place that is dedicated solely for your work. This could be the corner of your basement, a spare bedroom, or the local library. Some place that you don’t associate with watching TV, sleeping, or some other activity. Remove all possible distractions from this area, or get other things done before you sit down to work. If your problem is the Internet, and you need your computer to do work, try blocking some of those time-wasting websites so that you can’t access them even if you’re tempted free spins bonus.
Get Yourself Organized
Once you’ve gotten the distractions out of the way, now it’s time to get yourself organized. It’s hard to be efficient if everything you need is scattered all over the place, or if you don’t know what you need to do that day. Set up a system for yourself that allows you to keep track of everything. For some this means utilizing a filing cabinet, while others need to make detailed lists on their computer.
Apps like Evernote are great for taking notes and synchronizing them across your devices. Come up with a system that not only keeps you organized, but that you also like using. It’s no use coming up with a great system if you find it too cumbersome to use and give up after a week.
Use Technology to Your Advantage
Technology has made it easier than ever before to become efficient at your work. Things that used to take hours can now be done in the click of a button. For example, let’s say part of your day is searching for clients through online classified sites. Rather than visiting each one at a time, you can set up a script through IFTTT to send you a report about the latest postings right to your email. There are a ton of ways that you can automate simple processes thanks to technology.
Not only that, but the latest tech makes it easier than ever before to communicate. It’s unlikely that you’re working entirely alone for your new venture – you might have employees, co-founders, clients, and certainly customers. With apps like Slack or Trello, project management and communication is easier than ever before. With everyone on the same page, efficiency is bound to increase.
Work with the Right People
Speaking of not going it alone, it’s important that you work with the right people. Even if you set up a great organizational system for yourself, and automate a bunch of your tasks, it all won’t make much of a difference if the people you’re working with are not as efficient. You need to rely on other people throughout the course of your business, and if they start falling behind, they will pull you with them. When considering which people to work with, make efficiency a primary factor. You want people who are not only efficient themselves, but who can recommend ways to improve your current processes, and who push you to be more efficient yourself.
Outsource Simple Work
Finally, sometimes you just don’t have enough time in the day to do everything, no matter how much you automate or organize. In this situation, it makes sense to outsource some of the simpler tasks. While this will cost you more money, it may be worth it in that you’ll have more time to focus on bigger picture items.
For instance, if you were starting a new legal practice, you could outsource your paralegal services so that you don’t have to get bogged down in the paperwork. There are plenty of ways to outsource work in all sorts of businesses, you just have to decide what you don’t want to do, and how much you’re willing to spend to avoid it.
Hopefully the above tips will help some of the new entrepreneurs out there to become more efficient. The key is organization, knowing when you need help, and where to find it. If you can do this, you should find that you are able to increase your efficiency.
