A new report shows that only 7% of employees feel productive at work. Would your workforce say the same about the time they spend at your small business?
Eking every valuable minute out of the workday can be challenging, but it isn’t impossible. What’s more, the success of your company depends on it.
With already-tight margins, you can’t afford to waste money on empty hours that aren’t contributing to your bottom line.
Today, we’re sharing tips for small business owners to use to skyrocket their productivity via technology you likely already have in your office.
Ready to learn more? Let’s get started!
1. Embrace Voice Commands
You’re already using Siri and Google Assistant on your smartphone, but did you know that both Windows and Mac operating systems have integrated voice dictation tools?
From the Windows “Start” menu, search for “Speech Recognition.” Mac users can find this feature by going to the “Dictation” tab in the “Keyboard” menu under “System Preferences.”
Use these to navigate your laptop commands more quickly. You can also use voice commands within Google Docs to speak out your documents rather than type them.
2. Create Multiple Desktops
Need to separate your browser windows, but don’t have the money to invest in multiple computer screens? You don’t have to shell out hundreds of dollars for this functionality.
Instead, utilize your operating system’s multiple desktop feature. Available for both Window and Mac users, this is a quick way to organize and divide your tabs.
Within the macOS, these are “Spaces,” available under “Mission Control.” In Windows, you can create a new desktop at any time by clicking the “Task View” button on the taskbar.
3. Hang a Virtual “Do Not Disturb” Sign
The average person in the U.S. receives more than 63 push notifications per day. No wonder we have such a difficult time focusing on our tasks at hand!
One of the top tips for small businesses is to take advantage of notification management tools available on your smart devices. Encourage your employees to utilize “Do Not Disturb” settings on their phones and mute their social media threads until it’s time to clock out.
4. Spring Clean Your Apps
Take a look at the computer screens around your office. Are they littered with useless apps and clunky software? Take the opportunity this season to declutter, debug and deep clean these systems.
From browser extensions to your entire operating system, clear out all the digital clutter you can and see an instant uptick in productivity. Nasty bugs and other system problems will clear out, response times will improve and performance will skyrocket.
5. Automate Where Possible
Want to save time and money on time-consuming manual tasks? Look for areas where you can automate instead.
Use a checkstub maker to speed up your payroll processing. Ditch your legacy sales database for a modern Customer Relationship Management (CRM) dashboard. Create a standard invoicing template you can email in seconds.
In other words, take a look at what’s tying up the most of your time and consider if there’s a way to integrate technology to make it easier.
Find More Tips for Small Business Owners
As you grow your passion project from infancy, productivity is key. You don’t have time, money or resources to waste on an inefficient infrastructure.
These tips for small business owners are food for thought and can help you expedite this process.
Want to learn more about how to improve your success rate and make the most of your enterprise? We’re here to help.
We share tips and tricks to help you work smarter, choose wiser and live better. Take these productivity tips a step further and learn how to manage your remote teams more seamlessly today!
