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We haven’t come across many small business owners who enjoy doing day-to-day admin. In fact, most of the business owners we speak to feel overwhelmed by how much there is to manage.
We understand how difficult it can be to take care of everything yourself. That’s why we’ve put together some simple and practical tips to help you keep on top of your business administration.
Make Lists
Starting your day with a clear list of what you want to achieve will make you far more productive. It also stops you spending half the day thinking, “Right, what’s next?”
Your list can take many forms. You might:
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Schedule tasks into your calendar
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Use a digital to-do list or task management app
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Stick with pen and paper
Whichever method works for you, make sure your list is ready before you start work. Better still, write tomorrow’s to-do list at the end of today. This allows you to start your next day focused and organised.
“People now feel time accelerating. Lists allow them to feel some sense of accomplishment.” – David Viscott
Prioritise Your Tasks
It’s tempting to start with the easy or enjoyable tasks, but this isn’t always the best use of your time.
Think strategically about which admin tasks will benefit your business the most. Keep your goals and overall strategy in mind when deciding what to tackle first.
For example, making sure the margins on your invoice are perfectly aligned is far less important than actually sending the invoice out.
“You need to prioritise. If you can’t get to everything or do everything, that’s okay.” – Julie Chen
Make Time for Admin
Whether or not you use your calendar to create task lists, it’s essential to schedule time for admin.
Block out realistic time slots daily, weekly or monthly to get your admin done. Treat these slots like meetings and stick to them wherever possible.
Your diary doesn’t have to be just for meetings, it’s a powerful tool for staying in control of your workload.
“If you spend too much time thinking about a thing, you’ll never get it done.” – Bruce Lee
Stop Automatically Offering
Do you always:
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Take the meeting notes?
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Do the research for shared reports?
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Gather attendee details at networking events?
Just because you’ve done the initial work doesn’t mean you should also take on the admin of pulling everything together afterwards.
Learn to say no when needed, or share the workload by asking others to help. If it’s a regular task, suggest taking turns. Remember, you are just as busy running your business as everyone else.
“We have to establish time boundaries and learn how to say no.” – Alexandra Stoddard
Delegate Where Possible
Delegation may seem obvious, yet it’s something many business owners avoid.
Common reasons include:
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“They’ll take too long.”
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“They won’t do it right.”
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“It’s easier if I do it myself.”
The reality is that doing everything yourself often leads to tasks taking far longer than they should, or being completed at the expense of your personal life.
Delegating may take extra effort at first, but once a task is handed over properly, it can be delegated permanently.
“Many entrepreneurs try to do everything when it would be cheaper and more time-efficient to delegate.” – James Altucher
Eat That Frog
If you leave the admin task you dislike the most until last, it may never get done or it will be rushed at the last minute.
Often, the task itself isn’t as bad as you imagine. Once it’s done, it’s done. Delaying it only adds unnecessary stress.
Tackle the hardest admin task first and enjoy the sense of relief that follows.
“If it’s your job to eat a frog, it’s best to do it first thing in the morning.” – Mark Twain
Need Help Managing Your Admin?
Finding better and more efficient ways to manage day-to-day admin is a big part of what we do at MOMENTUM.
If you’d like support with your admin, or simply want to talk through what you currently do, we’d be happy to help.
📞 01903 688789
📧 makeithappen@mbsmih.com