Whether you want to boost productivity for your freelancing career or your employees, you might find it challenging working with multiple clients or with remote or hybrid employees. As you seek the best productivity tips for work, you probably realize there isn't a one-size-fits-all solution.
A recent article projected that nearly 25% of jobs across North America could become remote-based by the end of 2022, and the numbers will continue to grow throughout 2023 and beyond.
Here are five small business productivity tips for work you can use to your advantage.
1. Develop a plan and stick to it: In an office environment, it's much easier for everyone to develop and adhere to a plan. As a freelancer or remote employee, you can do the same thing by putting a plan in place that leads to preparation and peak productivity. Create a plan for your overall, long-term business goals and your day-to-day management of tasks.
Use a daily planning calendar to track your projects and goals to help ensure you hit all your marks in the short term. For your larger goals, such as marketing to find new clients or hitting monthly sales numbers for your employer, break these goals into smaller parts to stay focused and on track.
2. Create organized workflows and standard operating procedures: This tip is directed at employers to facilitate productivity, and it helps when onboarding employees. Organized workflows, policies and standard operating procedures help ensure that everyone is on the same page as your business scales.
With this strategy, you can learn from your teams to streamline processes and make things more efficient. They are the ideal beta testers for your current methods, since they work with them daily and can let you know what works, what can be improved and what flat-out inhibits productivity.
3. Automate tasks anytime it's possible: Automation has the dynamic power to help you navigate any productivity challenges you face and support you as you take your business to the next level, above and beyond your expectations. With automation, you can keep all your files organized in the cloud, particularly when it comes to bookkeeping tasks such as receipt tracking.
Minute7 offers online time and expense tracking that includes mileage documentation and allows for uploading receipts. Reporting capabilities and QuickBooks integration enable everything to be kept in one place where you need it most and can access it anytime.
4. Block distractions: Commit to blocking some time when you shut down your phone, email tab and any other messaging venue to focus on your tasks entirely. Checking an email might not take much time, but pausing your work can lead to additional distractions and pull your focus long enough to prevent you from getting back "in the zone" as quickly as possible.
5. Rely on teamwork strategies: Working in different locations doesn't mean your team can't work collaboratively. While working in various places might seem less conducive to collaboration, today's technology, such as video conferencing and productivity apps, helps everyone ensure tasks are completed on time.
Teamwork can help take everyone out of their own "thought bubbles," encouraging more diversity of thought, leading to streamlined processes and better quality work. Finally, it's an excellent opportunity to promote bonding between colleagues.
Combine these business productivity tips, and reach out to Minute7 team to learn more about our receipt tracking software free trial opportunity to boost productivity and thrive in the remote and hybrid workspace.