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Spend less time ADMIN’ing and more time WINning!
As a business owner there's no way around it, business administration can’t be avoided. This stuff isn’t going to look after itself (if only)! Maybe you enjoy looking after the admin side of your business or maybe the very thought of it makes you feel weak. Either way, the time spent on these tasks is valuable time that could be spent elsewhere – such as building a relationship with that warm lead, developing that new online course/workshop or writing your next best-selling book.
This is why it’s so important to have a system in place so that you can spend less time on admin and more time doing what you love.
1. To do or not to do – that is the question!
Start off each day with a to-do list. Write down all the tasks that you want to achieve that day. Anything that you don’t get to can be added to tomorrow’s list. Aim to have a clean slate by the end of the week.
2. Priorities, priorities
Being busy and being productive are two very different things. Being busy is about working harder, being productive is about working smarter.
Start off with the most urgent/important task first, then move down the list. That way anything that you don’t get around to won’t keep you up at night as it wasn’t all that urgent anyway.
3. Meetings aren’t the answer to EVERYTHING
So much time is wasted on unnecessary meetings. A 2-minute zoom with a client can easily turn into a 1-hour business strategy brainstorming session. If your message can be easily conveyed by email just politely advise that this is the most convenient method of communication for you today.
4. Detox your inbox
If you’re inbox is overflown with newsletters from companies that you have no interest in/never heard of or are no longer relevant to you then UNSUBSCRIBE. It will take some time to work your way through these but in the long run you will save so much time on a daily basis.
Set up rules for those that you want to keep and have them going directly to a separate folder that you can check when you have time – causing less distraction when you’re trying to focus on something more important.
Don’t forget to check your spam folder every couple of days for any important mail that might have been redirected in error.
5. Automate Invoicing
Use a free invoicing software such as Wave where you can store all your client information in one place along with your saved billable items for quick reference. You can easily create recurring invoices that will go out automatically on a specified date.
You can also use their purchases section to keep a record of your expenses.
6. Email Templates
Set up email templates for your most frequently used messages. This will not only save you time, but it keeps your messages consistent.
7. Packages
Spending time now creating an attractive pdf of your services (including all the FAQ’s that you normally receive) will save you time in the long run. You can answer your prospective client’s questions before they even ask them.
8. Get a filing system in place
Most businesses operate on a paperless basis now. If this is you then make sure you have clear defined paths to all your folders and that these paths make sense to you so that you can easily find exactly what you need in a couple of clicks.
I would also recommend using a cloud based storage facility so you can access your files from anywhere. Especially in the worst case scenario that your laptop was stolen or decides to die!
9. Utilize your online Calendar
If you don’t already use an online calendar I would recommend signing up to Google. Put EVERYTHING in there. You can have a number of different calendars all in one view. So for example you can have one that you share with family, one for your clients, one for your own business tasks. When filled in correctly this can make your day run a lot more smoothly. You can even share calendar events with other users. Don't forget to schedule in your breaks!
10. Do what you do best, outsource the rest
Of course, as a Virtual Assistant I’m going to say that right? But as your business grows it becomes more and more difficult to manage the day to day running by yourself. A Virtual Assistant (VA) can help you free up your time so you can focus on your business. Another bonus is that you don’t need to worry about hiring an employee and you only pay for the hours worked or tasks completed. VA’s can be a great asset to your business and they bring their own unique skillset to help you achieve your business goals and stay ahead of your competitors.
If you would like to learn more about how to ace your admin you can drop me an email at info@martinalennon.ie