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In this blog post we’re going to look at how to get shit done and supercharge your business productivity. Increasing productivity can boost efficiency, drive sales and maximise profits.
According to research by The Doers, on average, the self-employed are productive for 6.4 hours (6 hours and 24 minutes) of a working day. And although that’s 36 minutes more than our employed friends, we can still do better!
By the way, you can read the full document here: https://www.thedoers.co.uk/blog/are-freelancers-more-productive-than-employees
So, what is business productivity exactly?
Well, business productivity is essentially about the efficiency in which your tasks and goals are achieved during the working day. And by increasing your productivity, this in turn boosts efficiency, supercharges sales and maximises profits.
Get shit done and supercharge your business success!
If you want to get more stuff done and be more successful, you need laser sharp focus and the ability to beat procrastination. Successful entrepreneurs have this down to a fine art and if you follow my top ten tips you will nail it too!
Top 10 tips to get shit done and supercharge your business productivity
I’ve been helping entrepreneurs get shit done and supercharge their productivity since 2013. Here are my top 10 tips to help you work smarter not harder:
1. PLANNING
As the saying goes, if you fail to plan you plan to fail! But, first of all you need to set SMART goals. SMART is an acronym that stands for Specific, Measurable, Achievable, Realistic, and Timely, as follows:
Specific – a specific goal is one that is clear and well defined.
Achievable – an achievable goal is one that is realistic and achievable given your current circumstances.
Timely – a timely goal is one that has a specific timeline for completion. This helps you stay on track and motivated to achieve your goal.
Measurable – a measurable goal is one that can be quantified.
Realistic – a realistic goal is one that you can reasonably accomplish given your skills, resources, and time frame.
Once you’ve set your goals you then need to create a plan of action which details how and when you’re going to achieve those goals. A Business Coach is invaluable for helping you set goals and stay on track
2. LASER FOCUS
Having laser focus essentially means having the mental strength to cut through distractions and focus on the task in hand. We are constantly being bombarded with so many distractions. Ignoring to them is key to finishing the task we are doing more quickly and effectively. Multi-tasking robs productivity whereas laser focus supercharges your productivity.
3. TAKING BREAKS
Taking breaks helps to reduce stress according to research. And the less stressed you are, the easier it is to get shit done! Breaking your work into chunks and scheduling regular breaks throughout the day, will help you manage your stresss levels better as well as giving your productivity a boost!
4. SYSTEMISATION & AUTOMATION
Systemising is the process of documenting everything you do in your business – from answering the phone and opening the mail, to pricing work, and after-care service. Automation means simplifying repetitive tasks by setting up a system that makes it possible to complete these tasks without manual effort.
By creating systems and automating workflows, you can save time and stress! From pre-scheduling your social media posts to automatically adding subscribers to your CRM, it’s essential that you systemise and automate your business. Check out this great podcast about boosting your business efficiency.
Finally, setting up your business for remote working with cloud computing will also improve productivity.
5. SELF-CARE
Self-care is the secret to becoming a productivity powerhouse. It essentially means taking an active role in protecting one’s own well-being and happiness, in particular during periods of stress. It’s essential to look after your physical, mental and emotional health to avoid burnout. Eating properly, getting enough sleep, exercise and taking time out to relax are vital to help you stay healthy. If you’re sluggish and tired your productivity is going to suffer. Optimum productivity is only achieveable if you’re firing on all cylinders. Check out these great apps that will help you supercharge your mood and wellbeing.
6. COMPARTMENTALISATION
Compartmentalising is a well-practiced approach to manage what life throws at you in a more manageable way. The more control and focus you can create in the present moment will result in not only less stress, but improved productivity and more quality time. Robin Sharma, the renowned leadership coach, calls it his Tight Bubble of Total Focus Strategy. Others call it ‘deep work’.
7. DECLUTTERING
Like many creatives, I often have a messy desk strewn with piles of paper, empty coffee cups and various other bits and pieces. But, when I do (occasionally) tidy my desk I really believe it makes me feel happier and more productive. Now here comes the Science bit!Scientists at the Princeton University Neuroscience Institute have used fMRI and other approaches to show that our brains like order, and that constant visual reminders of disorganisation drain our cognitive resources and reduce our ability to focus. They also found that when participants cleared clutter from their work environment, they were better able to focus and process information, and their productivity increased.
8. WORK-LIFE BALANCE
Work life balance if vital to productivity. However, recent work-life balance research has found that 61% entrepreneurs stated they never stop thinking about work and another 41% claimed it’s all they have. Furthermore, according to an article by Mastercard, three in ten female entrepreneurs are struggling to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Being a workaholic is not going to make you super productive, so take some time out to recharge your batteries and you will feel so much better for it!
9. LISTEN TO MUSIC
Did you know thatlistening to pop music supercharges your work productivity – although personally I prefer D&B!! Seriously though, music can really help maximise your work productivity and it certainly helps supercharge my creativity. A recent study by Ritter & Ferguson proves that listening to music while working enhances divergent thinking that is associated with creative thinking and problem-solving. I highly recommend you check out this fabulous article which explains the different types of music to listen to according to the type of task you’re working on.
10. OUTSOURCE: HIRE A VIRTUAL ASSISTANT
Hiring a Virtual Assistant (VA) will allow you to spend more time working on the business and not in the business. There are lots of different types of VAs, so do your research carefully before you hire one. It’s important that you choose the right match. A VA is worth their weight in gold and can take away all the time consuming, non-fee earning tasks, freeing up your time to focus on fee earning work! If you don’t know what sort of VA to hire read my blog post: What sort of Virtual Assistant should you hire: VA v Virtual PA.
Further Tips to Get Shit Done
For further tips, have a gander at how to be more productive as an entrepreneur as well.
And before you go Grab my FREE Work Life Balance Toolkit and my Productivity Workbook featuring my 6-step ‘Jigsaw Formula’ to help you supercharge your productivity.
Get Shit Done: Business Toolkits for freelancers, self-employed & small businesses
My little business toolkits help you get shit done without the faff including pricing, digital marketing, remote working, content writing (SEO), branding, brand voice, blogging, email marketing, social media etc.
