People often speak of time and how there never seems to be enough of it. Many of us have To Do lists that are never completely checked off. We all struggle at times finding a good work/life balance. The idea of a shorter work week is gaining traction thanks in part to a recent book entitled, “Time On Our Side.” This book complies suggestions from leading economists who believe that reducing the workweek to a standard of 30 hours or less can have far-reaching benefits, not just for individuals but also for the environment. The authors make some great points about how working long hours place stress on our bodies and the crush of commuters negatively impacts the environment on a daily basis. To learn more visit their blog at http://www.neweconomics.org/blog/entry/three-steps-to-a-shorter-working-week. To begin saving time today, signup for our free online inventory tool now and get started creating time!
A shorter workweek sounds great until you look at your ever-increasing To Do list. Many small business owners work more than 40 hours per week now and still don’t get everything done. So how can you make a shorter workweek work for you? Quick hint. Maybe you should try our free online inventory tool.
The simple answer is to find a way to do more in less time but really, that’s not a simple thing to do. Improving your business processes is a great first step towards achieving this goal. Initially, you may have to spend extra time recording each process and mapping the procedures you commonly use. As you start to see the parts of the process that are routinely slowing you down, you’ll be able to develop solutions for eliminating those drags on your efficiency. If you can gain an extra few minutes on several common tasks that will really start to add up over time.
Achieving a full 10 hour per week benefit won’t happen overnight but it is attainable with careful attention to your processes and a commitment to becoming as streamlined as possible. For more suggestions on process improvement check our blog post here.
Often it’s hard for small business owners to relinquish control. You’ve been the key decision maker from the start and it’s hard to trust someone else to make decisions without your oversight. If things are often waiting for you to sign off on them before they can go forward you may be the anchor that’s keeping your process from becoming as efficient as it could be. Do you have an employee who’s been with you a long time? Chances are they know what you expect and could be trusted to make decisions in a way that you would be okay with. Give them the chance to oversee a few projects and see how it goes. If it works you could have a backup person who can sign off on things while you are busy growing your business in other areas.
As you find yourself with more freetime, resist the urge to keep adding new projects to your plate. Remember, the goal is work/life balance and a shorter workweek. You can add some new projects but don’t forget to take time for the important things such as focusing on yourself, your family and doing something fun.
If you’ve got the time, try Stockpile today for your inventory management needs. The few minutes that it takes you to sign up and get started could pay big time saving dividends in the future!
