Do you feel like you’re always busy but you’re never getting everything on your list done? Or maybe you need some help with time management and organization.
Well, as we enter a new year—in fact, a new decade—I want you to forget about setting business goals, and get more efficient instead!
Wait… what?
That’s right! I’m not saying it’s not great to have goals, but if you focus too much on reaching far ahead, it’s easy to miss out on what’s right in front of you.
In this Quick Tip Business Edge Show, I’m sharing some ways to improve business efficiency in 2020.
Enjoy this latest episode of: Quick Tip Business Edge Show
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7 Ways to be More Efficient in Your Business
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Take a look at what’s happening today
Instead of always thinking about tomorrow, take a long look at what isn’t working now. You can’t make the changes that will help you reach your goals until you understand what needs to happen.
Doing an audit, where you take inventory of your marketing campaigns, content, competitors and so on, is an ideal way to do a deep dive into how your company is actually performing.
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Create a sustainable plan
It’s important to have a business plan, so you can better understand your competition and customers, position your brand and track performance. It also gives you a road map to follow.
Check out our guest blogger Pamela Chatry’s blog Why Short Business Plans Are Viable Options for Entrepreneurs.
Also take a look at my Basic Marketing Plan for Entrepreneurs and Why Business Plans are a Must-Have.
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Learn how to delegate
It’s so common for entrepreneurs to do (or try to do) everything themselves. Not only is this unproductive and stressful, but it wastes time that you could be spending on your core competencies.
Efficient business practices include finding people who specialize in areas you don’t, which frees up time to focus on what matters.
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Automate everything you can
Fortunately, many processes and workflows can be automated. Frequent or repetitive tasks can be set up automatically, like auto responder emails and newsletter signups. Constant Contact is a service I like to use, because it makes email marketing easy and automated.
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Streamline your tools
There are so many useful tools available to make your everyday marketing and social media tasks much less complicated.
Here are a few to look into:
- Evernote for tracking leads, clients, notes and projects; and keeping to-do lists.
- Publer, Buffer and MeetEdgar are social media management tools that let you schedule all of your posts in one place.
- Microsoft Outlook for business emails. I find many free services like Gmail inefficient, because you have to search for emails and it’s hard to keep your inbox organized.
- Calendly or Acuity to manage your calendar and set up appointments.
- Monday, Asana or eGroupware (which we use) to organize and track projects and tasks like webinars, launches and content.
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Focus on one task at a time
It’s easy for small business owners to get distracted and jump from task to task throughout the day. One of the best ways to improve business efficiency is to avoid distractions.
Delegate specific times to be on social media, as this is one of the biggest time sucks. Don’t get distracted by emails, phone calls and texts. And when you finish something, move on.
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Use the Law of Attraction to your advantage
I just did a Tea Time Tip: Marketing for Busy Entrepreneurs episode with Gratitude Expert Dana Smithers. How Gratitude is Good for Business gives you some valuable tips on attracting positivity into your life and business.
From meditation to keeping a gratitude journal, you have the power to increase your business efficiency by being more grateful and open to possibilities.
Running your business takes a lot of time, energy and money. Believe me, I know! The more efficient you can make your processes, the more you increase your chances of success and abundance in 2020.
What are some things you need to be more efficient at? Let me know in the comments.
To your business success,
Susan Friesen
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About the Author, Susan Friesen
Located in the lower mainland of B.C., Susan Friesen is a visionary brand strategist, entrepreneur, and founder of British Columbia’s premiere boutique web development and digital marketing agency, eVision Media.
With over 20 years of experience in the industry, she is an expert in helping businesses establish their online presence and create a strong brand identity.
Her passion for empowering entrepreneurs and small business owners to succeed in the digital world has earned her a reputation as a leading authority in the branding and marketing industry.
Visit www.BrandIdentitySteps.com and download your FREE guide: "Unlocking Customer Trust and Business Growth: Your 7-Step Guide to Defining a Compelling Brand Identity that Appeals to Your Perfect Clients".
