Top 12 Productivity Tips For Entrepreneurs
When you are in business, you wear many hats. You are in charge of the long term strategies, the day to day operations, and everything else in between. With a number of things on your plate getting everything done may seem challenging.
If you are constantly handling your productivity, it’s only a matter of time before all those things overwhelm you. Thankfully with the right strategies, you can handle everything on your to-do list. So for all of you out there who are entrepreneurs or intend to be entrepreneurs, here are some of the true and tested tips that can help you.
1. Turn Off Push Notifications
Have you ever found yourself in front of your personal laptop with your mobile phone next to you as notifications and messages pop up? While you may ignore this, that stream of notifications can really be distracting.
By turning off your push notifications for a period of time during the day, you can significantly boost your productivity and concentration. Better still, you can remove your phone from your sight so you are not distracted by these notifications.
2. Define your Purpose for the Day
If there is one thing that you should do as a businessman then it’s to have a specific routine that you can follow every day. By doing this you’ll remain focused on what you intend to accomplish so you can concentrate on the same to the end.
If possible, write them down on a list of paper so you can be able to achieve them. This way you’ll be able to make more progress than just simply going by your memory.
3. Take Breaks as Often as You Can
If you want to boost your work productivity then taking breaks is very important. Taking breaks will give you a chance to refocus on what you are doing to allow you to come back when you are better.
While there are several things to do during your breaks, it’s important that what you do replenishes your energy. For some people, this could be eating a healthy snack or engaging in physical activity. For others, it could be socializing or meditating. So next time you feel unproductive, just stop everything you are doing and take a break.
4. Eliminate Distractions
Things such as Facebook or reading unimportant articles while working can be very distractive. You, therefore, need to declutter your desktop and focus on the task at hand.
If there are things that you want to return to later, there are several tools that you can always use to keep them.
5. Take Advantage of Technology
There are several factors that can easily affect your productivity. These include your attitude, health habits, sleeping hours, time management, and miscommunication.
Thankfully you can take advantage of technology. Nowadays, there are many apps that you can use to increase your efficiency and productivity.
6. Delegate and Outsource
Even if you automate most of your tasks as an entrepreneur you might still not get time to do everything. By delegating some tasks to other people you’ll become more productive. When you have an opportunity it’s essential to delegate and outsource.
Activities such as some aspects of customer service can always be outsourced. If you are running an online business but do not have the skills to manage a website you can engage someone to help you with this. By hiring freelancers or other agencies you’ll free up several hours of your day.
7. Use Tools Wisely
These days there are a number of productivity apps that you can use. But having more tools does not mean that you’ll succeed as an entrepreneur. The best thing to do is to know how to use these tools.
8. Cultivate Self Discipline
If you want to reach your goals then self-discipline is crucial. Without self-control, you cannot remain focused on what you are doing. Once you’ve established a clear plan stay consistent and don’t let go of your dreams.
The value of cultivating self-discipline will reflect in your work. Here are some tips that can help you;
- Set a detailed plan
- Reward yourself for a good job
- Get rid of distractions and temptations
- Create accountability by sharing your goals with someone who can keep you accountable.
9. Take Time to Rest
Did you know that sleep deprivation costs American companies $63.2 billion every year in lost productivity? By getting a good night’s sleep you’ll avoid sleeping on your desk. If you are too awake to go to bed ensure that you turn off any electronic device 1 hour before you go to bed.
The blue light from your iPad, iPhone, or laptop tends to slow down melatonin, a hormone that plays a huge role in sleep. When you are trying to improve your productivity, adequate sleep will help you stay focused throughout the day.
10. Always Stay Positive and Have some fun at Work
Although we all need to take our businesses seriously, we don’t need to be somber. Business and work should still be fun and positive even in tough situations.
Even when you’re angry, extremely frustrated, and annoyed think about the positive components and joys of running your business.
11. After Failure Learn to Bounce Back Quickly
Entrepreneurship is about trial and error to see what works and what doesn’t. Through this, you can make an assessment of your learning. Even if something does not work it’s absolutely okay.
Just make sure you apply that lesson to the next project so you can move forward. The key to productivity is taking a forward step every day.
12. Do Not Multitask
Even though your days are very busy, avoid multitasking and focus on the job at hand. When your attention is required in so many places it’s easy to bounce from task to task. However, this is quite inefficient.
As jobs are left incomplete and mistakes are made, you are likely to become less productive. Staying focused on one task until it’s complete is, therefore, one of the most important things to do.
Also Read: How to Cut Employee Stress and Improve Productivity
Final Thoughts
As business owners, young professionals, dreamers, and hustlers you owe it to yourself to do everything to get things done. Tips and tricks aside, you need to decide what you want to achieve. Once you put your mind on that thing nothing can stop you.
