How Outsourcing Tasks to a Freelance Admin Can Help Your Small Business

How Outsourcing Tasks to a Freelance Admin Can Help Your Small Business

I see a lot of small business owners struggle with basic administrative tasks that could very easily be outsourced to a Freelance Admin.

So, what if you could delegate those tasks so that you can focus on your small business’ goals and growth?

I’m Gina Koran, your host for today’s coffee-induced conversation about outsourcing those pesky administrative tasks so that you can focus on the important money-making areas to grow your small business!

Ready? Well, grab that cup of coffee and let’s dive in!

Overwhelm

Being overwhelmed is a common reason that small business owners tend to experience resistance to acting on their goals.

It is hard to act when you have so much to do that you just don’t know where to start.

Am I right?

Frustration

Even if many of the tasks you need to accomplish aren’t related to your goals, it is easy to get frustrated and even to give up.

If you are like most small business owners today, you have too much on your to-do list even without working on your goals.

You probably also have a hard time letting other people help you or saying no when you are overloaded, let alone outsourcing those tasks to a Freelance Admin!

Freeing up time is the quickest route to not becoming the overwhelmed owner of your business.

https://talkroute.com/prevent-feeling-overwhelmed-business-owner/

It’s time to think about outsourcing administrative tasks to a Freelance Admin

Well, it is now time to get over that feeling so that you can reach your goals.

Now is the time to learn to delegate and outsource tasks to free up your time for what matters most (such as working on your goals).

Feeling overwhelmed with administrative tasks for your small business? Outsource them to a Freelance Admin and give yourself back time!
Feeling overwhelmed with administrative tasks for your small business? Outsource them to a Freelance Admin and give yourself back time!

Make a list of tasks you can outsource to a Freelance Admin

The first thing I suggest is to make a complete list of everything you currently have on your task list.

Next, go down the list and consider each task, one at a time.

Which tasks do you absolutely have to do yourself?

And be honest; I am certain you will find that some of them could be done by someone else.

Now, mark off every task that you have to do on your own.

What is left are the things that you can delegate or outsource.

I hear a BUT…

Now, I know that you are probably already coming up with some objections in your brain.

Outsourcing those tasks costs money, no one can do it as well as you can, etc.

If you spend money outsourcing tasks on your to-do list, you’re going to trade that money for time you could spend on other things, such as working on your goals.

As a small business owner, I think we can agree that that is a fair trade, right?

And as far as no one else being able to do the tasks…did you know that Freelance Admins have a wide range of skills.

Very likely, they can accomplish those tasks more quickly and efficiently, freeing you up to focus on other areas!

Not sure what small business tasks your can outsource? Touch base with a Freelance Admin and find out!
Not sure what small business tasks your can outsource? Touch base with a Freelance Admin and find out!

WHAT tasks can you outsource to a Freelance Admin?

I hear you asking “Sure, but exactly WHAT tasks can I or should I outsource to a Freelance Admin?”.

Well, that list is endless.

Pick a handful of tasks from that list you made that absolutely MUST be done, but that maybe you don’t like to do.

Or don’t WANT to do at all.

Or maybe things that you fall behind on because you are not 100% sure how to do them.

Seriously, look at the list of tasks you made that you do every day, that take up your time and that take your time away from your business.

Next, go down your list and start figuring out everything that you can delegate or outsource.

Trust me, there’s a Freelance Admin out there who loves to do those things that you don’t love to do!

Outsourcing those pesky administrative tasks to a Freelance admin can help take the stress out of your life!
Outsourcing those pesky administrative tasks to a Freelance admin can help take the stress out of your life!

PHEW!

You will soon begin to feel the relief that comes with having those pesky tasks taken off your plate.

And the great thing about this is that you can continue to grow the list of outsourced tasks as much as you can, or even want to!

That time you gain by outsourcing tasks to a Freelance Admin? You can now put that time to use working on your goals and dreams.

I’d be willing to bet that once you start to delegate, you won’t want to stop.

And you will quickly add more things other people can do to the list.

Then you will be able to devote even more of your time to your most important tasks.

What can YOU outsource to a Freelance Admin?

So, what is on your list?

I would love to hear what you’ve decided that you can outsource, so drop a comment below.

And if you’re not sure if outsourcing those tasks to a Freelance Admin is the right move for you, head on over to my contact page and hit me up!

I would love to go over your list with you over a virtual cup of coffee, and see what tasks I, or another Freelance Admin can take off your plate to make your job easier!

Until next time, my friends…stay healthy and happy!

How to Overcome Being a Perfectionist

How to Overcome Being a Perfectionist

Are you a perfectionist?

Have you ever found yourself angry with YOU because something you’ve worked so hard at isn’t just exactly perfect?

No? Just me? Hmm.

Today, we’re talking about perfectionism and some ideas my coffee-saturated brain has on overcoming perfectionism.

Perfection is highly desired, so perfectionism must be good, right?

It seems like our society applauds being a perfectionist.

It’s made out to be a good thing in all forms of popular media and across social media.

Except for the fact that true perfection isn’t possible.

Sure, there are traits perfectionists have that are good things.

Drive, ambition, the desire to improve. Lofty goals and the dedication to work hard to achieve them. A desire to be the best you can be.

All of these things are absolutely good character traits.

The problem is that perfectionism takes all of these and pushes them to toxic levels.

Even “great” becomes “not good enough” and every goal achieved, no matter how lofty, must be succeeded by an even harder goal.

Accept it as part of your personality.

If you’re struggling with perfectionism, know that you can get move beyond it and live a much healthier and more rewarding life.

You just have to work hard at making progress over your perfectionism.

You CAN do this. And the outcome will be more than worth it!

So, are YOU a perfectionist?

Perfectionists tend to set unrealistic goals for themselves and others.
Perfectionists tend to set unrealistic goals for themselves and others.

Here are some common characteristics of perfectionists. If you recognize yourself in this list, you probably are a perfectionist.

Perfectionists Set Unrealistic goals.

Do you want everything to be perfect?

Do you set standards so high that even Superman would have trouble meeting your expectations?

It’s these impossible-to-meet standards that lead to frustration and anxiety.

You are Extremely Critical of Yourself and Others.

Because you want to meet those high goals that you set and/or expect others to set them, you are hard on yourself and others.

Especially when mistakes or “failures” happen.

You might berate yourself or others or get angry when things don’t turn out as you expect.

Perfectionists Tend to Only Focus on Results.

Do you enjoy the journey towards reaching a goal?

Or are you so focused on achieving the goal that the process doesn’t matter?

Growing and learning along the way is often the best part of reaching a goal, but if you can’t see anything except the goal itself, you’re probably a perfectionist.

You Have a Huge Fear of Failure.

Are you terrified of failing?

Does the thought of making a mistake make your blood run cold?

Do you have nightmares about failing to live up to your own expectations?

Fear of failure pushes most perfectionists to work even harder and faster to avoid the dreaded outcome.

Perfectionists Have All-or-Nothing Thinking.

You believe that if it is not perfect, it does not count.

Let me give you an example of perfectionism.

We live on a 100-acre farm. As with most farms, we have a VERY long driveway.

A few years ago, we decided that we wanted to line the bottom (we live on top of the hill) of the driveway with Dogwood trees.

And we wanted to alternate them, pink and white.

Off we go to get our tress, relying on the employees at the place to give us 12 WHITE and 12 PINK dogwood trees.

Naturally, some of the pink…are white.

And they’re not ALL trees. Some of them are Dogwood BUSHES.

Most flowers on Dogwood trees are rounded.

Several of ours are pointed. Those are the Dogwood bushes.

Move forward a couple of years when the trees start to bloom.

Overcoming perfectionist tendencies can be hard, especially when out of your own control!
Overcoming perfectionist tendencies can be hard, especially when out of your own control!

Instead of alternating colors, we have three or four of the same color in a row.

And the flowers are different on some of them.

Cue the perfectionist.

Colors must be alternated.

Bushes must be swapped out for trees.

Yikes! This is going to be a lot of work.

OR we can let them grow where they are.

We also found that the white bloom before the pink. Most of the white flowers are gone before the pink pop.

Who’s going to know?

Well, being perfectionists…WE will know.

Now, in case you’re wondering…no, we didn’t dig out the offending “wrong” trees and toss them.

Remember…100 acres. The ones we did replace have found happy, new homes elsewhere on the farm.

Some stayed put, because we’re working hard to overcome our own perfectionism traits!

And guess what…not one single person has EVER commented about the fact that there are more white dogwood trees than pink lining our driveway!

It’s quite likely no one has even noticed this phenomenon!

Perfectionism isn’t all bad.

It may seem that way, given the negative effects that it can have on a person and their life, but that may not be so.

Perfectionists share many positive traits that are highly desired and lead to success in life.

The problem occurs when these traits are taken too far and become toxic.

Jeeze, where’s the positive?

Well, here are a few of the positive qualities most perfectionists share.

They Have Big Dreams and Drive.

Perfectionists share a passion for lofty goals and the drive to work for them.

This is an incredible thing.

Many people never even consider setting the kind of goals a perfectionist takes for granted.

This gives perfectionists a much better chance of succeeding in life.

Perfectionists Are Driven to Excellence.

There’s nothing wrong with having standards, and that’s what perfectionists excel at.

Perfectionists often perform better and create better end products because they have such high standards.

They Are Very Dedicated to Completing a Task.

It is hard to find someone more dedicated to reaching a goal or succeeding than a perfectionist.

Perfectionists as a whole tend to work harder and longer than most to achieve whatever they set their minds to.

Perfectionist give over-attention to detail
Perfectionist give over-attention to detail

They can become almost single-minded in their pursuits.

The desire to achieve can move them to think outside the box, increasing the odds of success.

Perfectionists Are Extremely Detail-Oriented.

The desire for perfection lends itself to paying attention to the small things, and perfectionists tend to be detail-oriented people whose sharp eyes will pick up on flaws, glitches, and other hard-to-spot details that most people miss.

They Refuse to Accept Failure.

Many perfectionists don’t know when to give up, or even if they should.

This stubbornness often leads them to achieve incredible breakthroughs in their field, whether it is in sports, science, medicine, etc.

Each of these qualities is a good thing, and no one thinks you should give them up in your quest to overcome perfectionism.

They’re part of who you are.

Too much of a good thing becomes unhealthy, however, and your challenge as you struggle to make progress over your perfectionism is going to be to rein in the good things about being a perfectionist just enough that they are healthy and helpful rather than a problem.

Mistakes Don’t Make You a Failure.

No one likes making mistakes.

This is especially true for perfectionists. You want to do everything perfectly.

When something goes wrong, it may feel like the world has ended and that you’re a failure.

But mistakes and failure aren’t the same thing.

Even if something you tried to do didn’t work, even if it “failed” spectacularly, that is not the same thing as failure, nor does it  MAKE you a failure.

Good is the enemy of great. But perfect is the enemy of everything.

https://blog.rescuetime.com/overcoming-perfectionism/

So, what can you do?

Making a Mistake Isn’t a Failure.

Mistakes happen to everyone.

They’re part of life.

Making a mistake doesn’t mean you’ve failed.

You only fail if you quit.

Mistakes Are Not a Reflection on Your Worth.

Remind yourself that whatever the mistake was, it does not reflect on who you are or on your worth as a person.

Admit the Mistake.

It might be tempting to pretend the mistake didn’t happen, to brush it off like it was nothing important.

This might salvage your bruised your ego, but you won’t learn anything.

Figure Out What Went Wrong.

Do you know what caused the mistake?

Why did it happen?

What led to the issue in the first place?

Was it something you did?

Something you didn’t do?

Were there causes beyond your control?

Try to determine the root cause of the issue.

What You Can Learn from the Mistake?

Mistakes might be painful, but every mistake is an opportunity to learn and grow as a person.

If you just step back and take a look at the mistake, figure out the cause and see what lessons you can learn, you can then apply those lessons in the future so that you don’t make the same mistake again.

Perfection isn’t possible, but self-improvement is!

Start Each Day Fresh.

Every day is a brand-new day.

Don’t dwell on the mistakes you made yesterday, the things you didn’t get done, the bad (or even the good) things that happened.

Every day is completely new.

It’s a 24-hour gift just for you.

Start each day as if it’s new and fresh and no other days have happened, and you’ll free yourself of much of the stress that comes from undone tasks and past mistakes.

Focus on the Process, Not the Results.

Remember that having goals is great and is good for everyone, but it’s not the most important part of trying to reach the goal!

The process is much more important than the end result.

Instead of focusing on the amazing progress that you’ve made, or the results that you’ve achieved, you focus on what you didn’t do or what didn’t go just right.

https://cindybidar.com/podcast/letting-go-of-perfectionism/

Learning and growth all occur while you are striving to reach the goal, not when you actually reach it.

Redirect your mind to the process when you catch yourself focusing on the end result.

Focus on the work you are putting in and not the results you hope to achieve, and you will go further than you’ve ever imagined.

Reward yourself when you overcome perfectionist traits!
Reward yourself when you overcome perfectionist traits!

Reward Yourself.

Who doesn’t like being rewarded? Our brains love it.

They are structured to respond to rewards-the more immediate and the more desired, the better.

How can you use this in your quest to overcome your perfectionism?

Set rewards for yourself for doing (or not doing) specific behaviors.

These should be specific rewards that you love, that you have easy access to, and that you can have immediately.

Those of you who know me or have been following my blogs the past few months know that I am a coffee-holic.

So, when I want to reward myself…COFFEE!

Try New Things.

The drive to be perfect all the time can make it hard to try something new when you know you are not going to be perfect at it from the start.

The way to overcome this problem isn’t to avoid trying new things.

The best way to overcome it is to try new things more often.

In fact, make it a habit; aim to try several new things every month.

Your mind will become accustomed to being a beginner and will help you get out of the habit of expecting perfection (or even excellence) the first time you do something.

Look at your progress and what you’ve done.

Maybe things haven’t changed too much, but they certainly have changed.

Take a good long look at where you are and where you started, and you will see the changes!

You may not be you want to be yet, and you’re not making progress as fast as you would like, but guess what?

That’s okay.

Nothing good gets completed in a hurry (remember that old saying about Rome?) and you can’t change a lifetime worth of habits overnight.

Small steps are the way to go.

The smallest baby steps add up over time and will completely change your life.

It takes patience and dedication, but it is much easier to remain committed to small changes than to try and make giant leaps!

May Busch, EXECUTIVE COACH, SPEAKER, ADVISOR, AUTHOR, ENTREPRENEUR has some additional, great tips on overcoming perfectionism – check out her article!

So start to recognize it in your own behavior, and experiment to find the ways that work best for you to apply it only in those situations when it’s needed. That way, you can make the tendency toward perfect work for you, not against you.

https://blog.rescuetime.com/overcoming-perfectionism/

Perfectionism is hard, but it’s not impossible to overcome.

It can’t be done overnight.

Overcoming perfectionism must be done little by little.

It takes hard work and dedication-two of the characteristics perfectionists are known for!

But you CAN do this!

You can do just about anything you set your mind to.

And that’s ANOTHER upside of being a perfectionist!

Are you a perfectionist?

Let me know in the comments.

And if you have other ideas on overcoming perfectionism, feel free to share those as well!

Until next time, my friends…stay healthy and happy!

How tapping into freelance talent can save your small business money

How tapping into freelance talent can save your small business money

Tapping into freelance talent as a small business owner can save you and your small business money.

Not sure how? Or even if hiring a freelancer is the way to go for your small business?

Welcome back to GinAdmin. I am Gina Koran and I will be your host today. As always, I am grateful that you have a taken a few minutes of your valuable time to read my coffee-induced “wisdom”, as it were.

So today we are going to look at how tapping into the freelance talent out there can help save your small business money this year.

Go grab your favorite drink and let’s dive in…

Did you know…

70% of employers plan to use freelancers this year!

This is according to the 2022 Freelancing Trend in the USA survey conducted early this year.

Companies in many sectors are facing fast-moving challenges in this digital world, and they have to scale quickly in a way they may have not done before. That’s where hiring freelance talent comes in.

https://www.digitaljournal.com/pr/70-of-employers-plan-to-welcome-freelancers-in-2022

This number is amazing, and a great opportunity for small businesses.

Why?

Think about this…WHY are so many companies using freelancers?

Because there are so many freelancers out there!

About 70 million people in the U.S. freelance. With such a staggering statistic, it’s important for business leaders to start thinking about how to harness the immense talent available to them in the gig economy. 

https://www.forbes.com/sites/forbesbusinesscouncil/2022/04/05/the-new-freelancers-tapping-talent-in-the-2022-gig-economy/?sh=547856b164cd

So how does this save you and your small business money?

Right now you are wondering what the benefits are to your small business in hiring a freelancer.

There are loads of reasons.

Today, I am going to outline a few of what I think are the top reason working with a freelancer can save your small business money.

Tapping into freelance talent can save your small business money by eliminating overhead expenses.
Tapping into freelance talent can save your small business money by eliminating overhead expenses.

Tapping into Freelance Talent Saves Overhead

When I talk about overhead, I’m thinking about providing office space, desk space, any technology needed, office supplies…

All of the things a typical employee would require in order to do the job you have hired them for.

With freelancers, we provide our own, so no ordering all those supplies!

Including the all-important coffee!

Training expenses

Businesses spend millions every year training its employees.

In 2015, large companies spent an average $12.9 million on training. Small companies spent about $350,300, and midsize companies spent about $1.4 million.

http://moneyqanda.com/hiring-a-freelancer/

Freelancers tend to be a constantly evolving breed.

We are always on the lookout for new technology, new training, new anything that we can use to add value to the small businesses we work with.

And because we may be working with several different small businesses, the training topics vary.

So, the training I do for one client may not be relevant to yours. Obviously, you wouldn’t want to or have to pay for that training!

But because I may have done training on a topic for another client, that may benefit you for a task you need accomplished for your business!

I simply write so much every year into my budget for training. And if I need to adjust that, I am perfectly fine with doing so.

My goal is to make sure that I have the skills I need to support my clients!

Remember, we are, ourselves, small business owners…so freelancers find and pay for our own training.

Employee benefits or company benefits

One of the biggest expenses for employers can be benefits.

And there are so many.

You’re looking at health insurance, paid vacation time, retirement plans…the list seems endless.

Especially for small business owners. Not to mention, you need those benefits for yourself!

When you hire a freelancer, we are responsible for providing these benefits for ourselves.

Because, again…we are also small business owners!

40-hour work week

This can be where some small business owners get caught up.

You think if you are hiring someone to do a job, do they not need to be there 40 hours per week?

And you absolutely can do that.

When you hire an employee, you get that 8-hour a day person.

You also take on all of the things we’re talking about here today.

I have talked about this before, but rarely do you have an employee who is working a full 8-hour day.

Tapping into freelance talent helps save your small business money by eliminating overtime pay, overhead and benefits.

You’ve got breaks, lunch and just some lag time between tasks.

Not to mention checking their social media.

When you hire a freelancer, you are only paying them for time they actually work.

Overtime pay

If you decide to go the employee route, and you have extra work that needs completed, what now?

Now you have a choice to make.

Either pay that person for the overtime.

Or

Don’t. But that is going to lead to an unhappy employee, right?

Everyone wants to be paid for the time they put in.

By hiring a freelancer to work with you, you can establish with them the schedule and pay structure that is going to work best for you AND them!

Example

I currently work with a couple clients that we structured our contract for so many hours per month.

When I get close to those hours, I let them know where we stand.

At that point, it is up to them whether I simply finish the tasks they have given me or we go over the allotted hours.

And we have it built into the contract what all of that entails.

Freelancers are a pretty flexible lot

We tend to work with our clients, making adjustments where needed, with the goal of making everybody happy.

And making your job easier.

All right. There you have my coffee-induced thoughts on how tapping into freelance talent can save your small business money.

Now I would love to hear your thoughts.

Do you have some other ideas or ways you can tap into the freelance talent out there?

Pop a comment below!

Or head over to my contact page and we can chat about how working with a freelancer may be right for your small business!

Until next time, stay safe my friends!

How to Boost Your Productivity with Daily Routines

How to Boost Your Productivity with Daily Routines

If you are like me, as a small business owner/entrepreneur, your daily routine is key to your productivity. Today, I am sharing 7 ways to help boost your productivity with daily routines.

Welcome back to GinAdmin. I’m your host, Gina Koran and as always, I’m pleased you chose to spend a few minutes of your busy day with me as I share my coffee-induced thoughts with you. So grab your cup…

Many of the things we do each day to reach our goals can be achieved by creating small routines or daily habits that you perform without even thinking about it each day.

By making your actions routine and, more importantly, a habit, you will find you get more done and not feel like you are always working.

Get Hydrated

Starting off the day hydrated will boost your energy and make it more likely that you get your tasks completed.

Staying hydrated keeps you focused and boosts productivity throughout the day.
Staying hydrated keeps you focused and boosts productivity throughout the day.

Even yours truly, a self-proclaimed coffee addict, I start my day with at least one glass of water. And while I might joke that I drink that glass of water to clean my palate before I start my coffee IV, it is truly to get myself hydrated after a full-night’s sleep.

I also will drink water with my lunch and my evening meal to keep myself hydrated, understanding that staying hydrated keeps me focused and more productive throughout the day.

The great thing about water is that you can spruce it up. Add a slice of lemon. Toss in some fresh mint. Maybe cucumber slices. So many possibilities!

Review Your Schedule

I’ve talked about this before, but each night before bed I write down the most important tasks I need to work on the next morning.

Then first thing (after my glass of water, of course) each morning before I start my day, I glance over my list to get an overview of what I need to do during the day.

Then, I can prioritize each item based on my very colorfully-coded calendar.

If you are looking for some inspiration on time blocking, check out Cindy Bidar’s latest podcast : “How to Use Time Blocking to Get Stuff Done”. Cindy is a master at this!

Create a Morning Routine

Set up a morning routine for your self-care. This is totally personalized to each person, based on your needs.

You can start with a shower, make your bed, get dressed, eat breakfast, etc.

You may also want to add meditation, do some yoga, or maybe even journaling into your morning routine.

Photo credit: Chicago French Press

Those are some of my own routine: drink my glass of water, do my morning stretches for my back, brush my teeth, shower and dress for the day, make the bed.

And finally make my first cup of magic bean water a.k.a. coffee. As my friends at Chicago French Press say: Coffee beans magically turn into a life-changing potion everyday!

Then I head into my office to start my day, starting with that task list!

Monitor Your Nutrition

Another way to become more productive is to eat properly.  As I have said before, I am not a doctor. But I do understand the importance of proper nutrition.

I would love to eat like that 14-year-old girl with her sugar-based cereal again. That sugar high, though will lead to a sugar crash a couple hours later for me, the NOT-14-year-old-girl.

I also know that too much pasta and/or bread make me lethargic.

Talk about unproductive.

You know what foods work best for you – do that.

For me, fruits give me a natural boost. With summer coming (YAY), that will mean early Wednesday morning starts as I head out to the farmer’s market where I grab loads of fruits and veggies to give me that natural boost.

Another trick I found is prepping food in advance to make it easy to stick to whatever plan you come up with.

It also makes for a less stressful meal-planning time each day if you have a super busy day and find yourself short on meal-prep time!

Develop a Positive Mindset

Find ways to look at the positive aspects of your life. When you have a positive mindset or outlook, it tends to strengthen your motivation.

And I get that with everything going on in the world and around you today, that it is sometimes easier said than done to keep a positive mindset.

Developing a positive mindset can help boost productivity.
Developing a positive mindset can help boost productivity.

One of the biggest ways I have found to stay positive is to distance myself from the news.

I have greatly reduced my time on social media. We don’t even watch the evening news, something both my husband and I grew up with with our parents. If you are reading this and you know my Dad, mum’s the word! (Wink)

Now that is not to say that we do not know what is going on in the world. We simply reduce our exposure to it all.

I have to admit, since we stopped watching and reading and listening to the news as much, both our mindsets have become much more positive!

Celebrate Your Victories

When you are successful and accomplish something, find a way to celebrate, no matter how small the victory.

One of my rewards for completing a task is (no surprise) …a fresh cup of coffee. When I am working from my colorful calendar and its time blocks, once I complete a task, I’ll refresh my cup.

This also gives me a chance to get up and stretch my back after sitting through that task so that it doesn’t put a damper on my positive energy.

Find something that motivates you. Something that will give you that motivation to complete a task. Then celebrate your win!

Segment Your Workday

Don’t work all the time. This is especially important if you work for yourself. The work never seems to end.

Set specific hours for your workday. Stick to these hours at least 80 percent of the time.

Keep in mind that being flexible is important. Sometimes working hard is going to be required, but it’s not required every single day.

I am getting better at this. And while I might have a client text me in the evening, if it’s not an emergency, it goes on my task list for the next morning (see how I tied that in from earlier?).

Well, there you have it, Gina’s coffee-induced thoughts on boosting your productivity through daily routines!

If you have some other ideas on boosting productivity or daily routines, drop them in the comments below. I would love to hear yours!

For my fellow small business owners, if you are interested in ways that working with a Freelance Administrator can help put more time in your day and boost your productivity, drop me a message over at www.GinAdmin.com/#contact.

Until next time my friends, stay safe, positive and productive!

5 Ways to Streamline Your Daily Schedule and Increase Efficiency When Working from Home

5 Ways to Streamline Your Daily Schedule and Increase Efficiency When Working from Home

Do you wish you could streamline your daily schedule and increase your efficiency when working from home? Do you frequently feel like there are not enough hours in the day to accomplish everything you need to do?

Welcome back to GinAdmin where today, me and my sidekicks (my pupper and my always-on-hand cup of coffee) are going to share some ideas that work for me in streamlining my day to work more efficiently.

So, grab your favorite beverage and have a quick read.

As hard as it is, we must do things when we need to.

Otherwise, they don’t get done at all. Or we find ourselves having to do them when we truly don’t have the time TO do them.

Then it seems something else has to be put off.

If you’re like me, when a project has a deadline, it is important to devote all of my undivided attention to it. Otherwise, it won’t get completed. Time management is a critical aspect of every job – from planning to executing.

I have found that my schedule needs to be structured to support efficiency and productivity to reach my goals.

So, if you’ve ever felt like you need to streamline your daily schedule to work more efficiently, here are some tips are for you:

Check your existing workflows and processes.

Ask yourself these questions:

Are my workflows or processes efficient?

Do certain things take too much time or space to complete?

Are there things you can do to either eliminate steps or streamline your workflow?

Assessing current workflows is essential in improving productivity.

No process is perfect; there’s always room to improve. Ben Mulholland  

https://www.process.st/category/business-processes/

For example, do you need to complete specific tasks in a particular order or time? If so, then building your schedule with the tasks in the order you need to complete them will help you work more efficiently.

If you don’t need to do certain activities in the order you listed them, simply reorder them to streamline your daily schedule.

I do this with each task. At the end of every day, I review my current projects and list the priorities for the next day to keep me on track and complete those projects on time.

Ranking your processes to streamline your daily schedule.

Once you know your current workflows, you can rank them in terms of both the amount of time they take to complete and the extent to which they streamline your typical workflow.

I recommend using a scale of 1 to 5, depending on how time-consuming a process is and how much it changes your routine.

If it takes less than five minutes, you can probably combine it with another task in your workflow.

Turn off your notifications.  

Streamline your daily schedule by turning off notifications, this will help you work more efficiently!
Turning off notifications will help you work more efficiently!

Notifications in apps can be great when you want to receive a notice for something important.

But when you’re working tasks, they are simply distractions.

Turn off your notifications and focus only on the task at hand so that you don’t end up losing focus.

The truth is, most notifications can wait.

I put news alerts and messages on hold until later and read them as a reward for finishing my tasks. Then I can sit back with my favorite mug and read them without feeling guilty for taking time away from my important tasks.

Streamline your scheduling by tackling the hard stuff first.

If you are trying to jam in as many tasks as you can, chances are you’re not getting much, if anything done.

Or, you might even be the opposite. You’re spending more of your limited time on busywork that you don’t need to do. To help become more productive, I find that it helps to focus on one task at a time and work on that task until I complete it.

If I find myself multitasking, I try focusing instead for a single 30-minute period. I’ll take a quick break (probably grab another cup of coffee) and get back at it. I talked about multitasking before – you can read that here: How to be more productive this week.

Trying to work on more than one task at a time can cause procrastination, which is a whole new level of anxiety. I take the time to organize my tasks in order of priority. Then make sure the most important projects have the first slot in my schedule.

For instance, I tend to procrastinate on tasks that involve creative work, such as writing, brainstorming, and generating ideas. I find that setting aside 15 minutes a day to write helps me make more progress on that task.

Another trick I use is that I do the things I like to do the least first. Otherwise, I’m just dreading that task while I’m doing other things.

Do your work near an excellent natural source of light.  

Add natural light sources to your work area to help you work more efficiently.
Add natural light sources to your work area to help you work more efficiently.

A good source of light not only helps you see better, but it also helps you work better. This tip is handy if you work from home.

Those of us who work from home can become dependent on artificial light, leading to eye strain and fatigue. Working in a well-lit area and taking regular breaks away from your desk helps with this.

Watch your natural lighting, though. I have windows behind and next to me. When I’m going to be on a video call, I have to close the blinds and the curtains on those windows, otherwise the lighting is terrible!

And while some days my cup and I aren’t looking our best, the person on the other end of the video wants to see you as you’re talking to them!

Streamlining your daily schedule and increasing your efficiency will help you focus on what is important throughout the day. Try to limit the number of distractions you have around you.

Now, remember that you might not need to make a complete overhaul of your schedule. Many times, you can make small changes to greatly improve your overall productivity.

One of the best ways to improve your efficiency…you guessed it! Work with a Freelance Admin. We can help you assess and restructure your processes where needed, structure your schedule, and overall make your life easier!

If you try any of these tips, leave me a comment below and let me know how that works out for you. Or if you have other ideas, feel free to share!

And, of course, if you would like to learn more about how a Freelance Admin can help, contact me ~ we can chat over a cup of…yep, coffee, or whatever you beverage of choice is!

Until next time, stay safe my friends!