Cher famously stood atop a US aircraft carrier and sang to all the world, “If I could turn back time”, in a revealing, budget-conscious outfit.
We have all made business decisions where we wish we could turn back time.
Unfortunately, even with hindsight, we can’t turn back time, but with forethought we can find more time for ourselves.
I know, I know, I hear it all the time from people in business, “there just aren’t enough hours in the day” or “even in my supposed downtime, I am awake at night worrying about this and that”.
So, how do you get more quality downtime or find time for yourself?
Let’s take a look at ‘lost’ time you may be guilty of in managing your business.
The primary cause of lost time by anyone managing a business is you yourself!
What? Who, me?
Yes, you, and your inability to delegate.
Again, the excuses are pretty standard like: “I just don’t trust anyone else to do a particular task (especially to do with the money side)”; “But no one has the skills to do a particular task as well as I can do”; or, “The customers only want to speak to or deal with me”.
So, lets address this ‘delegation’ issue with the shock and awe of Cher’s outfit. It is time to put your ego to one side and accept that both trust and skill development takes time to save time – make the investment.
Investigate ‘repetitive’ tasks in your business. Look at all tasks that you do every day over and over again. Examples include opening and closing, standard paperwork, counting the till, counting stock, greeting customers, order preparation etc.
List them, map out the steps required, idiot proof them, train and delegate.
Save your own time for the one-off, specialist tasks that give your business a competitive advantage.
Keep in mind, the further you can distance yourself from the day-to-day operation of your business, the better.
People who make ‘real’ money do so when they have delegated ‘out’ of their business and are sleeping comfortably and dreaming/scheming up their next business venture.
Make this your mantra, “The best path to more time is making money when you are not involved”.
Apart from delegation, let’s touch on a standard ‘top five’ ways to turn back time. These tick-tock around:
- Layout of your shop or workspace: Is it efficient, have you created ‘minimum walk paths for workflow, access and restocking?
- The right tools and equipment: Do you have all the right support tools and equipment within easy reach and are there better ‘time saving’ aides available? Invest to save time.
- Backup tasks: As the day ebbs and flows or weather impacts your business, what are the backup tasks that could be completed now to save ‘future’ time.
- Inefficient admin and processes: What can be automated? What can be streamlined? Touch each piece of paperwork once only.
- Ad hoc breaks: Too many coffee breaks, just having a ciggy break, internet and phone checks are all eating your businesses time away. Cut them back, set clear ground rules.
Above all, grant yourself ‘smart’ time. Each day, take five minutes to review the above ideas and you will get better at finding more time and less stress.
Hopefully, you will sing a little about it like Cher.
And, maybe you will soon realise you can turn back time like Kerry Packer did to the main clock at the Sydney Cricket Ground to beat the lights curfew impacting World Series Cricket.
There is always a smarter time way!
