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Starting an Online Business? Productivity Tips For Newbie Solopreneurs
Being productive sure helps if you’re a newbie solopreneur. The lockdowns may have slowed things down at work but if you’re flexible enough, you might be able to see through this ordeal better and stronger than before! Thankfully, blogging can be done anywhere in the world so working remotely is part of the job.
Productivity is attainable but you need a strategy. Most businesses are opening up and now is the time to take full advantage of all the money-making opportunities that come your way. In this guide, let’s talk about ways to stay on top of your tasks and grow your business:
5 Productivity Tips for New Solopreneurs
Prioritize and Focus on Important Tasks
One might think that juggling multiple tasks is the best way to get a business off the ground but the thing with having too much on your plate is that the quality of your work suffers. When you’re not 100% focused on a task, you might not get the best results. And many times, juggling too many things leaves you with so many unfinished tasks.
Instead of doing everything all at once, prioritize and focus on the important tasks. Look at your list of to-dos, pick the ones that need your attention the most, and start from there. Do not stop until you’ve ticked each task off your list. Focusing on one task at a time is more efficient because you are 100% focused on each one until it’s completed. You’re not distracted so the quality of your work is better.
Stop Procrastinating
When it comes to completing a task, avoid doing it later or pushing deadlines back unless there is a good reason for it. Let’s face it, sometimes a task is so enormous and important that we tend to delay the inevitable because we feel that we’re not ready to complete it. We use every excuse in the book to avoid the task from getting done just because we “don’t feel like it.”
Stop procrastinating!
Don’t wait until the next day to complete tasks that you can do right now. This goes especially for important tasks, you need to set a specific timeframe and stick to it. Even if a task seems too big or deadline’s too far away to do right now, you have to get your start so you don’t end up facing delays down the line. Eliminate distractions that are keeping you from working at the right time. Don’t do it later, do it now.
Routine Tasks: Outsource or Automate
Routine tasks are tasks that are done on repeat. If you’re building your business by yourself, you’ll need to take care of everyday tasks alone. This is fine if you’re just starting out, but once the business starts picking up, routine tasks could take your focus away from your core business. Small, repeated tasks are pretty time-consuming to complete if you’re doing everything yourself. Taking care of small tasks can lead to burning out — you could spend your energy focusing on more critical aspects of your business instead of getting stuck doing routine tasks.
If you can afford it, get help to deal with routine tasks. You can outsource specific tasks for cheap, or you can get a service that could automate certain tasks for you. For example, if part of your blogging routine includes posting images on social media, responding to emails, or sending newsletters to subscribers, consider getting a scheduler to automate these tasks for you. Accounting, customer service, publishing are just some of the many tasks you can outsource or automate.
Stick to a Schedule
From your morning routine right down to your deadlines, you need to set a specific timeframe for every task so that you can complete them in time. Schedule everything to get more things done. You can use paper or a digital calendar to schedule every task.
Start by mapping out a typical day at work, focusing on routine tasks to essential tasks. Create a schedule on your calendar and use the repeat function for recurring tasks. For deadlines or important dates, get an alert, so you don’t forget.
It’s one thing to create a schedule and another to stick to it. If you’re scheduling everything, better be sure that you’re always on top of your tasks to get things done on time.
Organize Incoming Requests
Set a specific time for incoming requests from clients or customers like responding to emails, answering calls, setting appointments, etc. Don’t let these tasks take over your day; you only need to dedicate specific times of the day, so you don’t lose your concentration or motivation to complete other tasks.
For example, dedicate 45 minutes of your time answering emails and taking calls every day. Stick to the set time. Let clients and customers know about your schedule for handling incoming requests so they’ll follow your time too.
We’re all human; we can only handle so many calls and emails in a day. Creating a timeslot specifically for incoming requests lets you take care of business while also having more time to do other things. Your business process becomes more organized this way too!
The beauty of working from home and being a solopreneur is that you can do just about all aspects of the business in your own time. You have total control over your environment, so you can choose how and when to start working. With these productivity tips, you can stay on top of projects without distractions. Try them and see which ones work the best for you!
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