Running an online business is no easy feat. While you may not have a physical premise to look after and keep clean and tidy, that’s not to say you haven’t got your own virtual challenges.
There are a whole load of components that go into managing and maintaining a successful online business.
Regardless of what field you’re in, staying productive with your workload is paramount for driving your brand forward.
If you’re struggling with productivity, we’re here to help.
To keep your online business venture a success, making the most of your time is key.
Here are some ways online business heads can manage their time more effectively and ultimately, keep the operation in check.
Avoid Distractions
When you’re sitting behind a computer desk, there are so many distractions that can take your eye off the ball and hinder productivity levels. Whether you’re working in your home office, slouched on the couch, or even in your bed, you need to make sure your full focus is on your workload! Some little things you can do include having your personal smartphone out of sight, and out of mind. Also, find a room in the home that’s strictly off-limits for others living there.
If you’ve got kids, the last thing you need is them barging in when you’re in the middle of an important video meeting!
Use a Project Management System
There are all kinds of projects and tasks online business owners need to keep track of.
No one expects you to do this alone. Instead, why not make use of tech and implement project management software into your operation?
This software is created to help companies and individuals monitor tasks, projects, and schedules.
It’s also a brilliant way to stay organised and make sure your team remains on track with their duties.
Project management software promotes communication, and team collaboration, and boosts productivity.
Create a Day-to-Day To-Do List
This one is not only incredibly simple, but it’s also a real game changer.
Online business owners who struggle with productivity need to get organized and start noting down what they want to achieve that working day. When you have a checklist, you can cross off each task which will motivate you to continue.
Before you get stuck into your workload, writing down your to-do list and any goals you want to achieve can set you up for a successful day ahead and keep you on the ball.
Learn How to Prioritise
Online business owners need to master the art of prioritizing.
Whether you work solo or have a small team around you, there are going to be tasks that are deemed more important than others. With that said, you need to break your tasks down into chunks and focus on the ones that need to be completed immediately.
When you learn how to prioritize, this can be a huge productivity booster and keep you on track with your work.
Make Use of Tools to Cut Corners
There are lots of tools online business heads can make use of that can cut corners and help you get more done in a shorter timeframe. Whether you’re tech-savvy or not, you can quickly get the hang of certain tools that will make working life that little bit easier. For example, if you’ve got huge PDF files that are taking up lots of space on your work laptop, you can compress PDF files with the help of Smallpdf. They have convertors that can compress PDFs in a matter of seconds.
This is great news as you can move on to other important tasks within the business.
Take Regular Breaks
This one is essential for all online business owners. When you factor in how much time you’ll spend behind a screen, productivity levels can quickly wane. As each hour passes, you may struggle to concentrate which can lead to rookie errors and problems. Therefore, it’s crucial you take regular breaks.
Having 10 minutes away from your desk to stretch your legs, put the kettle on, or go for a walk can help clear your head. Regular breaks are also great for reducing stress and anxiety.
Don’t feel guilty about having some time away from your workload either. Breaks are needed to help you stay productive!
Outsource Tasks
As an online business owner, you can’t be expected to do every task and duty within the operation.
While you may like wearing many hats and keeping an eye on all aspects of the business, there are going to be some actions that you have little to no experience in. For example, you may not be a whizz at email marketing, or you may struggle to come up with compelling content for your product descriptions. Therefore, why not look into outsourcing these jobs?
When you outsource, you can hand over these roles to the experts. They can use their experience and knowledge to fulfil your requests to the highest standards. Other advantages of outsourcing include increased efficiency and an improved focus on core company activities.
Schedule Social Media in Advance
When you operate an online business, social media is part and parcel of the operation.
You’ll need to maintain a social media presence to get customers to flock to your brand.
If you’re tasked with running your social media pages, you don’t have to spend every working hour on them. Instead, why not schedule your posts in advance? Set aside a few hours to come up with interesting posts.
When you do this, you can have them published at certain times, even when you’re fast asleep!
Online business owners want to ensure every task they perform maintains quality standards and keeps clients and customers happy. There are only so many hours in the working day, which means you can’t be expected to pull off everything yourself.
To manage your time more productively and effectively, it’s time to utilise our suggestions and put them into action. Once you do, this should help you stay in control of your operation and most importantly, keep it on top.
