“The bad news is time flies. The good news is you’re the pilot. Michael Altshuler
Does your week slip away and, before you know it, it’s bin day again?
Time can be managed, and you can find a work/life/beer balance.
You may want to increase productivity and streamline business systems, or you may want to take control of your local SEO strategy; it all takes time.
The key is organisation and carving out time just to arrange and plan your tasks and priorities.
Find Your Planning Tools
As a Tradie, chances are you’re already using some form of calendar or appointment system, but if you’re having problems managing your day, it might be time to revisit these tools.
Find planning tools with reliable reminder systems and easy-to-use appointment-setting features. If using multiple devices, set up syncing, and most importantly, take some time to get used to your new system; run some testing to ensure it’s foolproof.
Some examples of these planning tools would be apps and programs such as Todoist or Trello, but ultimately you could use your email calendar.
Organisation
The best place to start with time management is to get organised. Getting organised means looking at the bigger picture. Don’t attempt any task other than the one at hand, organising.
Set aside a day for this. Give yourself time to really think about it.
Layout your tasks; order them by priority and size.
Break larger tasks into bite-sized pieces.
For example, if you would like to get started on your business SEO, don’t attempt to register all business directories at once, plan 2 directories a week. Make sure to keep your NAP the same for each to ensure adequate and effective local SEO!
“Give me six hours to chop down a tree and I will spend the first four sharpening the axe.”
Quote by an anonymous woodsman or Abraham Lincoln — the verdict is still out.
If You’re An Old Skool Tradie…
Grab a paper diary, sometimes writing down your plans will solidify your intentions and keep you motivated. The only problem is you can’t set alarms for tasks, but you can set reminders, e.g. remind yourself a few days beforehand to prepare for an upcoming job.
Even if you’re a one-man-band stick, a weekly or monthly planner on the wall, sometimes the ability to glance at the wall rather than referring to your phone or computer (whilst on a call, for instance) is a time saver.
80/20 — The Pareto Technique
Wouldn’t it be nice if you could spend only 20% of your time getting 80% of your results?
To achieve this, you need to start prioritising the tasks that comprise this 80% and stop procrastinating and focussing on the smaller trivial items that only produce 20% of results.
But how do you know which tasks these are?
- Write down ten tasks that need to be completed.
- Identify the two that get you the highest results, or closer to your business goals.
- Prioritise these tasks, as you get better with your organisation, you can spend 20% of time achieving 80% of results.
Form Habits
Make a point of checking your calendar each day. Pick a time, stick to it, and check your daily calendar.
Sitting on the shitter in the morning is probably the best time ;)
If you already live by a calendar and your problem is finding time to fit in administrative or marketing tasks, you may have to begin a habit of 1 hour — 3 times a week; again breaking tasks into bite-sized pieces.
Or perhaps — leading into our next strategy — you need to outsource some of the tasks that are eating into your time. Or, delegate to your staff members if you have them.
Outsource It
The online world is flooded with marketing, social media gurus, content writers, bookkeepers & SEO experts, and you can usually find services at a price that suits your business.
If you are clinging onto tasks because you are protective, or worried about forking out cash, consider how you could better spend your time building your business, rather than getting bogged down with paperwork, web design and SEO.
This is the part where we blatantly toot our own horn!
An example of outsourcing made easy is Tradius. Rather than having to manage and update over 20 business directories individually, (which are vital for your local SEO and search engine ranking), Tradius can do all of this for you.
Business Listings sorted!
Tradius can also help you manage your online reputation, gathering and responding to reviews on Google, Facebook, Yelp and more. Reviews are vital for your local SEO because social proof is a high ranking factor.
Playing Hard To Get?
It might be good for dating, but it’s not good for business! Plug your trades business into the #1 local SEO agency for tradies. Get listed, reviews, and leads — without having to invest in a website. Let's talk!