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As a business owner, you are constantly seeking ways to increase productivity and achieve that ultimate work life balance. The more productive you and your team are, the more time you have for family, friends and you — or that’s what we’re told. Increased productivity can lead to increased profits and business growth, but it’s important to ensure your productivity goals align with your business size, team scope and abilities. Let’s look at some effective strategies for boosting your productivity as a business owner, and for your team.
Set clear goals and priorities
Setting clear goals and priorities is essential for increasing productivity. Without clear goals and priorities, you and your team may find yourselves wasting time on tasks that are not important or do not align with your business objectives. Clearly defining your goals and priorities will help you stay focused on what matters most.
Quick wins:
- Establish your key goals and align your work to those goals – for example, if it’s to increase sales that month and find opportunities to cut costs, then you could deprioritise other areas like brand awareness activities for instance.
- Set a ‘Week Ahead’ meeting to communicate key priorities for the business and team leaders (or team members) each week.
- Find your time – get that to-do list list in order by completing the most important tasks before lunchtime, or at the time of day you feel most switched on.
Create a focused work environment
Creating a focused work environment is another key factor in boosting productivity. This means providing your team with the tools and resources they need to do their jobs effectively. Creating a workspace that is comfortable and well-organised can also help your team stay focused and motivated.
Quick wins:
- Make sure everything has a clear home – from computer files to equipment and stock, everything should be clearly labelled and easy to access.
- Consider physical comfort. If you work at a desk, good alignment and chair choice is important. And what’s the temperature of your workplace? If it’s too hot or too cold, sluggishness can set in.
- Encourage breaks, eat snacks. It may sound counter-intuitive, but 10 minutes of rest every hour or so keep minds sharper and more motivated.
- Check out the Pomodoro technique as a practical guide for how to stick to a strategic and effective work/rest schedule
Encourage collaboration and communication
Encouraging collaboration and communication among your team members can help them work more efficiently and effectively. By fostering a culture of open communication and teamwork, you can create a more productive and cohesive work environment where everyone is working towards a common goal.
Quick wins:
- Build a culture that welcomes ideas and feedback to improve and streamline business activities
- Choose communication tools that are easy to use for everyone, sync across devices and accessible on the go, like Slack and Google Drive
- Make sure all meetings have clear agendas, and action points are recorded and shared to reduce rambling, double handling and forgetfulness
Use technology to streamline processes
There are countless tools and technologies available to help you streamline your business processes and increase productivity. Ask yourself, What can I automate? And remember, automation isn’t replacing people — simply helping them work better. Consider repetitive tasks, standard customer responses and communications and manually managed documents. Choose tools like accounting and project management software, marketing automation and time-tracking apps to streamline your workflow.
Quick wins:
- Be aware of distractions and use tools like screen timers and notification blockers to focus during times of deep work, like report writing, or hitting deadlines
- Find tools to support complex activities. Check out Square Team Management to help schedule and manage your team.
Increasing productivity as a business owner requires a strategic and proactive approach. Create a culture of easeful and focused work by setting clear priorities, creating an environment conducive to work and rest, encouraging collaboration, and using automation to streamline processes. More efficient and effective business practices, and team members, directly drive growth and success.
This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute professional advice. For specific advice applicable to your business, please contact a professional.
