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6 Ways for Small
Businesses to be
More Productive
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Americans are working longer hours than ever,
with four out of 10 people reportedly logging
more than 50 hours of work each week. But
there’s a catch: According to a recent study by
Stanford University, productivity actually
declines when these hours are sustained for
extended periods of time.
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With this statistic in mind, it’s essential that
small businesses work smarter in order to
be more productive in less time.
These six tips will help you add results,
not hours, to your workday.
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01. Stay Synced
For many small business
owners, spending all day
tethered to a desk isn’t
realistic. Make sure all of the
information and tools you
need, such as your calendar
and the programs you use,
remain synced across all of
your devices. This way your
workday doesn’t have to come
to a halt if you’re on the go.
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02. Follow the 20/80 Rule
There’s no shortage of tasks to
complete each day, but some
are more important to the
success of your business than
others. Use an app like
RescueTime to track how you
spend your time and then
determine which 20 percent of
your time generates 80 percent
of your business results. Zero in
on those actions and outsource
more task-driven items to a
network of freelancers like those
found on Fiverr or UpWork.
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03. De-stress Delegation
Utilize a simple project
management system such as
Asana or Trello to track and
assign tasks in one shared
space. For each task, create a
timeline that includes regular
checkpoints to ensure the
assigned work is being
completed properly and on
schedule.
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04. Ban Interruptions
Running a small business
means wearing many hats —
and even the smallest
distractions can eat up your
productivity. With apps such as
SelfControl or Freedom you can
block access to websites and
apps that might pull you away
from your work (you know the
culprits!) and unwittingly add
hours to your day.
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05. Take Tasks 52
Minutes At a Time
According to data collected by
DeskTime, the most productive
workers focus on a task for roughly
52 minutes, followed by a 17-minute
break. This strategy, not unlike the
Pomodoro technique, emphasizes
completing one thing at a time with
breaks at strict intervals. This is ideal
for helping any small business
maximize productivity and eliminate
multitasking, which studies
reveal can reduce productivity
by up to 40 percent.
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06. Don’t Discount Downtime
Sustaining maximum productivity
requires some outside stimulus
and downtime. Punctuate your
day with walks, work outside of
the office at least once a week or
commit to attending conferences
or classes that interest and
inspire you. These things will
motivate you to get more done
on a daily basis.
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Quick Wins
Advice
Action
Inspiration
Maximizing productivity won’t
happen overnight, and it may
require you to change some
habits. Stick with it, and you’ll
be working smarter, not
harder, in no time.
Block off time on your
calendar each day to tackle
one important task. Choose
a time of day when you know
you’ll be able to focus solely
on that task, such as first
thing in the morning or at
the end of the day.
“You may delay, but time will
not.” — Benjamin Franklin, inventor,
politician and author
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Jump-start your productivity with the
new Quick Wins app!
Track your social media, website and cash flow
metrics all in one place, and get smart and
simple tips on how to grow your business.
Click here to download the app today!
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