Small business owners have many competing priorities. Between providing services and/or selling their products, managing their teams (staff, contractors, vendors, etc.), creating marketing content, doing accounting, and much more, there never seems to be enough time in the day. So, how do business owners combat this and avoid the feeling of being overwhelmed?
Lucero Consulting Group has worked with hundreds of small businesses and nonprofits since launching three years ago and we believe having effective operations can, and will, help your business succeed.
The following five operations practices will help you streamline your business tasks, grow your marketing efforts, manage your financials, and more.
Schedule: Creating a few consistencies in your weekly calendar will help you manage responsibilities and distinguish between competing business priorities. Schedule personal activities in your calendar, such as meals, exercise and family commitments, for a full visual of time you are dedicating to your business and to manage your work/life balance. Remember: Take time to rest and invest in self-care to ensure you deliver your best self to your business!
Automate: Find tasks in your workflow that can be automated to help you save time, money and energy. Many tools exist to help with tasks like invoicing, paying bills, ordering inventory, managing your social media, and more. By automating, you not only save time but can also schedule these processes into your workflow to increase your productivity.
Delegate: Whether you are a solopreneur or have a team supporting you, every business owner has a support system they can rely on. When possible, hiring external experts such as a marketing company, accountant, attorney, etc. can help you delegate tasks and accomplish your goals. Businesses can also find great business advising services at no cost through local nonprofits for education and business support. Use these resources to grow your business and delegate projects and tasks as appropriate.
Batch your tasks: Increase your productivity by batching, or completing similar tasks, in one session. For example, create a social media calendar and write content for one month, rather than creating content each day or week. This not only saves a great amount of time, but also allows you to be flexible and prepared for tasks throughout your workflow.
Find the right tools: Technology has provided business owners with many powerful tools to help streamline tasks. Tools like QuickBooks and Hurdlr will help you manage your financials, do invoicing and prepare for your tax liability. Canva and Adobe provide incredible tools for marketing needs. Asana and Slack help you connect with your team and manage your tasks. Tools like Hootsuite and HeyOrca streamline your social media management. Find the tools that work best for you and stay consistent with utilization to get the best results.
For more information and resources, or help with growing your business, visit www.lucerocg.com.
Manny Lucero is with Lucero Consulting Group.
