Before launching your own business, you might have dreamt of working flexibly around other commitments. About being able to take weekends and evening off and of working half days when you fancied it. It won’t have taken you long after getting started to realize that this kind of working was still a while away. When we start out, we often work long, exhausting hours.

Many small business owners never take a full day off. They work late into the night, and even when they are at home, they are checking work emails, updating their social media business pages and thinking of new ideas and improvements that can be made.

Unfortunately, as much as we’d like it to, this doesn’t seem to stop when our businesses start to grow. Far from getting more manageable, the busier and more successful our businesses become, the more we have to do. The more knowledge we gain of business and our industry, the more time we have to spend making sure everything is done right, and if we want to continue to grow, we can’t become complacent. This doesn’t mean, however, that you can’t live that life of flexible working. You might just need to learn how to manage your time a little better.

Use Technology as Much as Possible

Nowadays we have so much technology at our disposal, and yet most of us fail to make the most of it. Look at your daily processes.

Could you be automating website updates and social media posts?

Could you use an email provider to reach your customers?

Are you using an online calendar to manage your time?

Speech recognition technology in healthcare can help medical professionals dictate notes and records, which should also be kept online. Using the cloud to save files can mean that you can work wherever you are and easily share data with other members of your team. You could be using apps to help with invoicing, packaging and postages and keeping on top of your accounts.

In most cases, technology costs money. But, it could be worth it if it saves you time, and gives you a chance to focus on other things. Such as finding ways to make more money or even taking a day off.

Don’t Underestimate the Power of Making a List

The very opposite of modern technology, a good old fashioned to-do list can also be a powerful tool.

Start writing to-do lists for the next day before you go home and you’ll be able to see what needs more of your time, and what could be left, and you’ll be ready to hit the ground running as soon as you start work next day.

Learn to Delegate

When you first started your business, you might have had no other choice but to do things for yourself.

At some point, you might have hired staff.

Are you delegating to your team?

Or are you still doing a lot more than you need to?

Give your team responsibilities and trust, and they’ll reward you with loyalty and hard work.

© New To HR