Sometimes, it can feel as though there aren’t enough hours in the day. From the break of dawn to last thing at night, it can often feel like important tasks are falling through the cracks because you don’t have enough time to get everything done. 

Here are a few time management tips for business owners to stop that happening and help you organise your time better. 

How to Best Manage Your Time

1. Set a Daily Plan and Stick to It
2. Delegate Tasks Effectively
3. Work When You’re Most Productive
4. Be Decisive
5. Have Everyone Log Their Time
6. Keep Your Workspace Tidy
7. Schedule Rests and Take Breaks
8. Focus on One Task at a Time
9. Use the Right Tools

1. Set a Daily Plan and Stick to It

Make a note of all of the important tasks you need to work on the next day. Then, when you arrive at the office in the morning, use these notes to set out a quick plan for the day. 

This adds structure to your day and makes sure nothing important is missed and time wasted. If a daily plan feels like too much, then create a weekly plan on Monday morning and assign tasks to specific days of the week.

2. Delegate Tasks Effectively

One of the many perks of being a business owner is that you can delegate tasks to your staff. You don’t need to be involved in every area of the business - this is an inefficient and poor use of your time. 

Think about everything you have to get done this week. Could managers or other members of your team take over? Consider changing your processes so you have a final look over things, but the main work is carried out by someone else. 

3. Work When You’re Most Productive

There’s no point sticking to the traditional 9-5 if you know you get your best work done before most people have even had their morning coffee. Determine when you work the most effectively and plan your schedule around that. 

For example, Leo Babauta of Zen Habits found that he was most productive early in the morning. Before it’s even 6.30am, he’s usually exercised, ate breakfast, read industry blogs, showered, prepared his meals for the day and outlined three key tasks that he needs to complete. 

Sometimes this isn’t possible, especially when you have so much to do. However, knowing when you’re most productive is a good place to start.

4. Be Decisive

You’ll probably have to make countless essential business decisions during any given week. Some of them are more crucial than others, but all of them need your time and attention. To make sure you're making the most of your time, be decisive. 

Consider adopting the 40/70 rule that’s popular with many CEOs and business owners. Every decision is made when you have between 40% and 70% of the necessary information. Below 40 and you’re guessing and after 70 and you’ve waited too long and been indecisive. 

5. Have Everyone Log Their Time

Timesheets are useful when it comes to streamlining business processes. Make sure that all staff members are tracking how long tasks take them and what they spend their day doing. 

With this valuable data, you’re able to see where both you and your staff are regularly wasting time. It may be that there are too many unnecessary meetings or delays caused by outdated equipment - by checking this, you can make changes and save time in the future. 

6. Keep Your Workspace Tidy

Whether you’re working from home or at your usual office, it’s important to have a tidy and organised workspace. A tidy space allows you to be more productive as it’ll be easier to find relevant documents or reports that you need. 

Your office should be tidy and organised but so should your digital workspace. Whether you use a traditional digital filing system or you have a shared office drive, make sure all staff know where files should be stored so they can easily be accessed. 

7. Schedule Rests and Take Breaks

Taking regular breaks and distracting yourself with non-work activities is a great way of recharging your batteries. They’ll ensure you’re in the right mindset to keep working later on. 

Whether it’s a quick session at the gym, a few chapters of the book you’re reading or even a much-needed power nap, it’s important to rest during the day otherwise you’ll burn out. 

8. Focus on One Task at a Time

If you start a quick task, then see it through to its conclusion before moving onto the next one. Trying to multi-task can be difficult, especially if you’re juggling meetings, clients and your personal life. It’s much better to focus on one task and do it right, rather than trying to juggle three at once with the potential of making mistakes. 

It’s also useful to pause your email inbox while you’re working on something important. This allows you to focus on the task at hand and not be distracted by anything. 

9. Use the Right Tools 

Certain tasks can be streamlined and made much easier when you use the right tool. Take bookkeeping for example. It’s something that all businesses have to do but it can be time-consuming and a little confusing. 

You’ll waste a lot of time if you’re managing all of your finances manually. Look for useful apps, software and templates to speed everything up and make life easier. 

Download Bookkeeping Templates Now

Speaking of templates, download ours now and get to grips with your bookkeeping. Cash flow, customer invoicing and profit and loss are all covered.

Get your free templates now using the link below.