I know as well as anyone just how much there is to do when you start your own business.
You've probably found yourself working long days only to continue working at night. That’s just not realistic (or healthy!) for anyone!
I’ve been there, and I know firsthand that it just doesn’t work. So I put together my best tips to help you save time as a new entrepreneur, so you can rid of some of that stress. The healthier you are, the healthier your business will be! Alright, let's go!
1 | Stop trying to do #allthethings and pick 2 or 3 to focus on
I'm guessing that you have a handful of business owners you look up to – you know, the ones you follow on Pinterest, Instagram and other social channels. Though it’s great to find people that inspire you, it can also be really easy to compare yourself to their success and how they seem to show up on every social media channel, write kick-ass blog posts every day and manage to send out personal emails at least 3 times a week.
Here’s the thing – when you first start out, it’s nearly impossible to do all of that. You will get into a rhythm and with hard work and dedication, you’ll get to where you want to be. But you can’t do it all at once. You’ll get yourself into a position of burnout if you try to keep up with entrepreneurs who have been in the game for 3 years.
Instead, pick 2 or 3 things to focus on to build your business. Maybe for you that’s Pinterest, blog posts, and list building. You’ll be better off dedicating your time to just 3 things, instead of rushing to do 10 things every day.
Once you’ve learned the platforms you’ve chosen, you can start to add in others. It will take time, but you’ll develop a system that works, and soon enough, new entrepreneurs will be looking up to you!
2 | Plan & batch content each week, month, or quarter
Confession: I had a really hard time getting blog content done when I was starting out. I would usually choose a random afternoon to work on a blog post, without any idea for a topic. So, after I already worked a long day, I would basically have to start from scratch.
I first had to think of a blog post idea, outline the content, do some research, and then finally write a draft. It would take me forever. And then, I’d still need to find time to edit my draft, create images, and so on. It wasn’t a good method.
Yet, that’s how much of us go about writing content – mostly just because we don’t know any better.
Here’s what I suggest – at the beginning of a new month, take a look at your calendar and set aside time for content planning and content creation. Maybe you do all your planning in the beginning of the month – choose what topics you’re going to write about that month, how often, and even outline your posts. That way, when it comes time for your scheduled content creation (1 day a week is probably good for this), you’ll be in the right mindset to sit down and batch out some content.
It’s a good idea to plan promotion time for your content as well!
3 | Purchase templates instead of creating everything from scratch
Trust me, I know you don’t want to spend a lot of money when you’re just starting out. But I know from experience that some things that don’t fit into your skill set are just better outsourced.
Things like building a website, designing social posts, or creating templates to on and off-board your clients. Serious game-changer.
It can take SO MUCH time learning how to design those things. You can be doing other things - like growing your business.
Lucky for you, professional designers create templates you can purchase for super affordable prices. You can customize them to your liking and make them match your business.
You're going to want to look on places like Creative Market and Etsy to find these types of templates.
4 | Automate as much as you can
Doing everything manually is just not an option when you’re starting a business (or ever!). The more you automate, the more you have time for growth and client work.
Use tailwind to automate your Pinterest posts. Use HootSuite for social media. Use Flodesk for your emails. These are just a few ideas – there are a ton of platforms out there to help you get everything automated!
If you try to manually post, update your list, and send out emails every single day, you’re not going to be able to keep up. Plus, what if you get sick? Or need to take a day off? Or are planning a vacation? If you have everything automated, your business will continue growing.
5 | Stop multitasking - it gets you nowhere
Okay, so this one might be close to number one, but I had to include it because it’s so important.
Just. Stop. Multitasking.
It’s that simple. When you try to do numerous tasks at once, you don’t focus your energy on what really needs to get done. Know what the result ends up being? Half-assed work. And unfortunately, people can tell.
It all comes down to planning – take the time to plan out your month, your week, and your day and set aside time for each individual tasks. Even if it only takes ten minutes, set aside the time. Don’t try doing it while you take a conference call. Each task needs your undivided attention for the best results.
There is one exception to this rule: If you’re doing mindless tasks (uploading files, editing, etc.), listening to a business podcast at the same time can actually help you grow as a business owner. But only do this if the task at hand doesn’t need careful attention. Otherwise, no multitasking!
And there, you have it! 5 ways you can save time as an entrepreneur - especially in the beginning!