Make a Few Tweaks In Your Ops ... And Grab a Few Extra Hours For What You Love

The bigger the machine, the slower it moves.

And so it is when a business gets ready for a little, or a lot, of growth.

I arrived in that place recently. That feeling that business tasks feel like the spinning wheel of doom, or an overfull wheelbarrow with a flat-ish tire (for my gardeners in the group).

In my case this wasn't anything really big, or super dramatic (I prefer to stay ahead of that ;) I needed to reallocate time, simplify client processes, and make way for a new set of projects.

For some of you, you may be approaching, or deep in a busy season and you've started to notice the places where tasks get backed up, where you could use some automation, or an outside hire for a season of work - and you've noted where you're doing simple tasks that feel wayyyy heavier than they should and take up more time than it's worth for you to be doing it when you could be adding value in your company where no one else can.

So,

if you need a few extra hours each week and an quick, and an easy, sit down with a tea method to get you there, here's a great place to start,

let's get to work:

3 easy steps to gain 3 - 5 extra hours this week

(and a repeatable way to gain more with each refinement!)

Keep it simple, build the habit, then build the ROI:

Audit and Eliminate | Investment: Cup of Tea 30 - 60 minutes

• *best practice - do it now, repeat quarterly

• ROI (Return on Investment): 1 free hour this week, and next, and the next

  (evergreen extra hour week over week)

Activity:

• Review your current to do, or small task list

• Identify a habitual task

• one that doesn't add value, and takes your time

• => strike it off the list

Find one owner heavy task that can be delegated or automated

=> Delegate it; automate it immediately

Note where you are repeating a process or policy over and over...

=> Script it, make copies, give to whomever needs it: client/customer/employee

**(little tip - if this is for staff, it can become something to refer back to in future meetings and employee training progress)

• Make the template; checklist; process sheet... log into Canva or wherever you choose to create; get it done; free up time!

Thank me later =)

Batch your routine admin tasks | Time Investment: 0 Hours (just some reworking)

ROI: 1+ hours week or more depending on admin load

• Make a time each day to check emails; or regular communications, ordering, inventory, filing, instead of random responses and reactive activities throughout the day.

  • => Set your best time - start NOW, and then develop a natural cadence for a continued practice

• Complete all the filing at set times; ordering; inventory counts... those kinds of tasks: complete in a sitting, or, over allocated periods of time.

Ok - last one:

You might have some scheduling, invoicing, data entry work that could really benefit for some automation; or, a short term weekly hire so you can better use this to give you more time in your high value work.

Prioritize and Re-allocate | Investment: Brief Analysis 30-60 minutes:

ROI: 1-3 extra hours week over week (or more depending on task allocation)

Activity:

• Note where the heavy operational work is in the light duty admin tasks above

  • Assess where you could delegate this task: to whom, and / or where you can implement some task automation (such as scheduling; invoicing)

    => Delegate or automate light duty admin tasks ASAP

=> Use this freed up time to dedicate to high value/high impact tasks that only you can do for your biz

This once a quarter habit over time will create more efficient and time releasing work than you'll gain from a year of bottlenecked work and an expensive overhaul.

As they used to say...

'an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure'

If you're finding something of value here, please hit comment and let me know what worked for you, and subscribe for more of this on The Monday Muse:

Connect here if you would like to learn more about how I work with business owners, and how I might support your business:

~ Tara