Once you figure out productivity and efficiency for your small business, your revenue start increasing as well. It can be a little tricky at times though; getting all the cogs to work smoothly.

Small business owners are the embodiment of multitasking. They often have to wear many hats; from scheduling expert to social media guru to IT wizard, and every essential role to a successful business. So, it stands to reason that productivity may take a hit.

Whether you’re an events planner, small food & beverage establishment, fitness instructor, the concerns are essentially the same.

Here are six important tips you can use to boost productivity at your small business:

1. Control Your Meetings

Long and pointless meetings are a source of dread and annoyance for everyone involved, not to mention wasting valuable time. Keep your meetings short and remember to:

• Stand during meetings. When you sit, you tend to get relaxed and off topic more easily.
• Be brief, to the point, break quickly.
• Have a singular, specific goal for each meeting.
• Don’t waste your team’s productive morning time. Meetings later in the day tend to interfere less with the workflow.
• Don’t have meetings if the primary purpose is “we always have them”.

2. Customer Relations

The most efficient staff in the world is pointless without a customer base to serve. Having excellent appointment management software is beneficial for your clients and your team. By using software to register the clients name, phone number and time of appointment, a reminder can be sent out to the client, drastically cutting down on missed appointments and cancellations.

3. Cut Out Distractions

Group project work and/or similar tasks on a specific day, or time of day. Use the morning to answer your email, and once again in the afternoon instead of checking your email constantly throughout the day. By grouping project work and/or similar tasks; you put an end to distracting multi-tasking and regain the focus to prioritize the actual work that needs to be done.

During crunch time, when a project is on a deadline – eliminate every possible distraction. Shut down your email, forward your office calls to voicemail, switch your mobile device to airplane mode and unplug all other technology. This allows you to focus 100 percent and boost productivity.

4. Equip Your Team With The Information They Need

Not only is it frustrating, but extremely unproductive when your team has to search for the information they need if it should have been provided to them. For example, team members working directly with a client should have ready access to the client’s history, support tickets, the goal of the project they’re working on, etc.

5. Empower Your Team

Many small business owners start their business as a singular affair and have become accustomed to trying to do everything themselves. As the business grew, they realized they needed help and began hiring people. The people that you have selected are now your team and it’s important that they feel like they are all equal parts of your business. This improves company morale as well as boost productivity. You shouldn’t have to micromanage them – not only does this impede productivity, but you’re also making your team unhappy and not feeling great about their job.

6. Do The Least Desirable Tasks First

If you’ve been in business for some time, you undoubtedly have had or will have things on your to-do list that are undesirable. You should get these tasks done first and get them out of the way. Otherwise, they will linger in the back of your mind and become a distraction, hindering your productivity.

If you’re looking for ways to accomplish more within a time-crunched 24-hour, download our Strategies For Improving Small Business Productivity free guide.

Hazel Burgess

Hazel Burgess
FOUNDER/SEO DIRECTOR

Hazel is the Founder & SEO Director at Envisager Studio, a premier website design agency specializing in WordPress website design, development and internet marketing. In her spare time, she writes about search engine optimization, website design, and internet marketing.