As a small business owner, many small tasks can make a big difference in making your life easier. It's important to set aside time to do a regular review of finances and to focus on your customer engagement. In this article, we'll go over some tasks you should schedule regularly and how to make time for them!
About once a month or so, plan to do a financial review. Analyze your income and expenses for the month to understand your business’s profitability and make adjustments where needed. You can use the Insights and Earnings sections of the Business tab of the Boss app to help you with this. You can view previous years' earnings for record keeping and to see the growth of your business by exporting your earnings. If you’re keeping receipts for tax purposes, you should get them together in one location and make sure they’re organized. Record your expenses like mileage, parking fees, and phone costs.
You should also set aside time to focus on customer engagement and marketing. Analyze your customer feedback and reviews to identify areas for improvement. Check in with your existing clients to keep lines of communication open. Work on your leads! The best source of leads is your direct network. Reach out to people who have shown interest in your business previously and see if they have any questions, or let them know about a special you're offering for new customers.
Plan and execute a small marketing campaign by focusing on cost-effective tactics like social media engagement or local partnerships. Browse local groups on social media to look for leads, but be mindful of group rules to keep from getting removed. Need tips for marketing on social media? See Promoting Your Business with Social Media and our Marketing Resources Collection for more! Local partnerships are also a great way to gain interest in your business. You can partner with a local business to provide delivery for their customers, or you can even offer to deliver to a local business!
Many business owners find themselves asking, “How do I find the time for everything?” Your time is valuable, and you probably have very little of it to spare. Here are some tips for making time to accomplish the things necessary to keep your business running smoothly.
Try dedicated time blocking. Schedule specific time slots for certain tasks or activities. Even a few hours can make a difference. For example, you could set aside an hour on every Saturday to update your automated messages and an hour on Sundays to review your financials for the week. Use a calendar to help you stay on track until it becomes a habit!
Break your larger tasks into smaller, more manageable chunks. Breaking larger items into manageable chunks makes them much easier to take care of! For example, to get ready for tax season, start early by having a dedicated location (a folder or drawer, for example) for any paperwork you know you’ll need. When you do your financial review, make sure you’re putting any relevant papers in that spot. When tax time comes around, you’ll be better prepared and less stressed!
Prioritize and delegate tasks, even if you don’t have employees! Identify your most critical tasks, the ones that will have the biggest impact on your business, and focus on those. Automate where possible. Use tools for tracking finances and scheduling social media posts. Use the automated messages in the Pro tab of the Boss app! Consider outsourcing some jobs, like bookkeeping and car maintenance.
Group similar tasks! For example, complete all financial tasks together to minimize context switching. Consider handling customer messages, social media responses, and emails at the same time.
Minimize your distractions! You will likely find your time is used more efficiently when you’re less distracted. Try to find a quiet spot to work on the administrative part of your business, and silence your notifications for a while so you can focus.
Set realistic goals! Start with a few key tasks and gradually add more as you become more efficient. Acknowledge your progress and celebrate your wins, no matter how small, to keep yourself motivated!
