As a small business owner with plenty of tasks on your plate, times of productivity can be hard to come by. With so many distractions coming from notifications, social media, and countless emails, setting your mind to focus on a single task isn’t easy.
Focusing becomes even more difficult when you’re gifted with a task as tedious as managing your finances. It’s not something owners typically enjoy working on and unfortunately, it requires a lot of attention.
Because we know how important it is to small business owners, like you, we’ve put together a list of some of the best ways to stay productive in a distracted world.
Establish Routine
The nature of your work can make it difficult to get into a routine. It can feel like there’s always something new demanding your attention, but when it comes to your finances, you can create a (somewhat) consistent schedule to help you stay on top of your to-do list.
When you create a routine, your tasks become habits and you no longer have to think about what you need to get done, it becomes second nature. You can do this on a daily basis, with tasks like checking your inbox or spending a few minutes each morning interacting with customers on social media, or you can expand your routine even further by setting a date at the beginning of each month to review your forecasts vs actuals or your budgets vs actuals.
Establishing a routine (daily, weekly, or monthly) sets you up to get each of your required tasks done and eliminates cramming things into your schedule.
Start Time Blocking
Time blocking is every small business owner’s best friend. Essentially, it’s dedicating a small chunk of your day to a particular task. The most effective time blocking strategy is to sit down at the beginning of the week to plan out your schedule.
Let’s say your responsibilities for the week include:
- Reviewing your payroll
- Checking in on your sales channels
- Comparing this and last month’s cash flow
Estimate how long you think each task will take. Then, add it to your calendar. For example, on Tuesday at 3pm, schedule an hour to check in on your sales channels. This will help cut out the chances of your mind drifting to other tasks and ensure you get your essential tasks done for the week.
To take time blocking one step further, you can even consider turning off notifications during your dedicated times. This will narrow your focus even more and improve productivity.
Set Goals (Big and Small)
You likely have business goals you are working towards that include checkpoints at the 1, 2, or even 5-year mark. Each of these goals requires actionable tasks for you to get to where you want to be. These actionable tasks should be factored into your routine. When you do this, you are creating purpose in your day-to-day responsibilities.
As an example, let’s say you’ve made a big goal and are hoping to increase sales by 20% by the end of the year. Now, create smaller goals for each month that will help you get to that larger goal. Ask yourself something like, how many more sales are needed each month? Once you’ve figured out your smaller goals, break them down into actionable tasks you can add to your routine.
Having set goals, big and small, will help you add purpose to tasks that may seem redundant, and not important at the moment, improving your overall focus.
Take Needed Breaks
For many small business owners, focusing on financials is a draining task. Numbers and business strategies are not everyone’s cup of tea and too much of it at once can leave you uninterested and burnt out. Make sure you take breaks when you need them. Try:
- Going for a quick walk
- Getting a glass of water
- Standing up to stretch
Each of these gives your brain a needed break to readjust and refresh, which is essential when dealing with topics outside of your comfort zone.
Work With a Reliable Financial Partner
Working with a reliable financial partner is one of the best ways to increase your focus and productivity. They will manage your finances, which includes everything from accounting and bookkeeping to business consulting and even tax planning. With their help, you’ll have more time to focus on the parts of your business you enjoy and less time worrying about your finances.
You can have confidence and peace of mind in your finances knowing they are being completed accurately and on time by a trusted partner.
If you are interested in working with a reliable financial partner, schedule a consultation with Adian Professional Corporation. We will take financial management off your plate, ensuring everything is in order so you can focus on what matters most to you, your business.