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In the life of every businessman, there is always a time when you glance at the clock and at the list of tasks to be done, and you ask yourself where the time has gone. I had mine when I was fully engrossed in sorting through my emails, arranging my calendar and replying to customers' inquiries. It was imperative to remain productive, but these tasks, although crucial, were not making any difference in my business. I was trying my best, but I was not achieving the results that I had anticipated. I was in a constant cycle of low-intensity movements, and the feelings of aggravation were evident.
Then it hit me: I was getting lost in the details of $10 tasks when I could have been growing a $10 million business.
Related: To Level Up, You'll Need to Take a Step Back
The trap of low-value tasks
First of all, as business owners, we tend to take on all the work ourselves because nobody knows our business better than we do. It's natural — after all, the business is our baby. But here's the hard truth: It is important to consider that just because one can do something, it does not necessarily mean that one should. Each dollar spent on a $10 project means a dollar not invested in a $10 million idea.
I am referring to those mundane, non-strategic activities that could be performed by any employee at the company, but we do them ourselves because they make us believe we are productive. But what is really being accomplished? Not the large ones, not the priorities, not the plans that could change the entire course of your company. It seems we are only maintaining the status quo without any kind of progression.
1. Delegate the drudgery
The first action that I took was to delegate the activities that had been consuming most of my time. Responding to emails, scheduling my appointments, and addressing some of the customer service-related inquiries were the things that could be easily delegated to someone else and probably done way better by someone else.
Just consider how much your time is worth in the first place. If you are willing to pay $100 for an hour of your time, why invest it in activities that can be delegated to others for $10 or $20 an hour? It is important to note that delegating is not a sign of laziness; instead, it is about getting the most done. This is because delegation empowers you to let go of trivial tasks and instead focus on core business issues, sales and improvement.
2. Automate the mundane
Automation is another game-changer. With the advancement of technology, there are numerous tools available that can help reduce the workload of mundane tasks. For example, appointment scheduling can be done by a scheduling software, and you do not have to waste time on the establishment of dates.
When I started automating my scheduling, I was able to save hours every week on my own. It is time that I could put back into growth opportunities — things that really make the business grow. It is not just about time; it is about the ability to avoid getting lost in the details and having to think about them all the time while you are making strategic decisions.
3. Outsource the chatter
Customer service is the lifeblood of any business, but it doesn't have to be done by you alone. The most effective decision I made was outsourcing the customer service. I was able to hire a team of people who could take and respond to inquiries, solve problems and assist in general, as I focused on expanding the business.
The focus here is to establish credibility. You have to have confidence in your team or outsourced service to convey your brand in the same manner you would. Once that trust is built, outsourcing customer service is a no-brainer. It enables you to concentrate on cultivating business with important clients, bargaining for contracts and establishing yourself in the market.
Related: 7 Ways to Make Outsourcing a Success Time After Time
4. Streamline the creative
Content creation is another area that leaves many entrepreneurs stuck. Yes, it is important, but it is not helpful to spend several hours designing graphics or writing blog posts. I understand that I can write posts, but I am more effective if I decide what should be posted when and what kind of message it should convey, while the professionals do the work.
Whether you employ a content writer or graphic designer or use content creation tools, this optimization gives you time to focus on strategic planning. It enables you to be constantly visible in your target market without compromising on the capacity to manage the company's affairs.
5. Empower your team
Micromanagement is a major waste of time that many business owners get caught in without even realizing it. I was guilty of this, too. This made me think that if I did not participate in making every decision, then things would go wrong. But the reality is that by being overly controlling, I was holding my team members back and was not making the best use of my own time.
Delegating decision-making to your team is not only time-saving but also fosters ownership among the members. Your team will go the extra mile, think out of the box and achieve the goals when they are trusted. It also creates an opportunity to look at the broader perspective of a business and understand that the details are being well handled.
6. Automate workflows
Instead of focusing on individual assignments, consider your overall work process. What operational tasks can be digitized? What measures can you take to guarantee that things are properly managed without your intervention? The automation of workflow is a great tool to improve productivity.
For instance, you can automate the creation of invoices, follow-up emails and setting up of daily tasks, which helps you save time every week. The more you minimize the time taken to perform these processes manually, the more time is available for business growth and development.
7. Prioritize big moves
Ultimately, it comes down to focusing on the activities that are going to be most valuable for your business. This means not being able to agree to work on activities that do not meet the objectives and being willing to work on those that do. To me, this meant focusing on planning, building relationships and seeking additional revenue sources.
As a founder, you may find yourself engrossed in the regular business operations, but if you want to grow the business, you should work on the right activities that will yield high returns. This could be anything from creating new products to venturing into new markets or improving existing operations for higher profitability.
Related: 3 Major Time Wasters for Leaders — and How to Overcome Them
The transformation
After implementing these changes, delegating, automating, outsourcing and empowering my team, my business changed drastically. The revenues began to increase, I was able to sign larger contracts and, most importantly, I had time to ponder over the development of my business.
The transition wasn't easy. It involved allowing others to assume certain tasks. However, the outcome was more than worth it. By concentrating on what was important, I was able to create a company that was not only profitable but sustainable as well.
