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5 time-management skills that will help you work less

Between appointments with vendors, clients, and your own team, plus all of the work that’s on your plate, for business owners, effective time management is critical. After all, when you become stretched for time, things fall through the cracks, fall by the wayside, or are simply forgotten – and that can negatively impact your business, increase your stress level, and even cause problems for you personally.

 

Of course, there no panacea for a busy schedule, and there’s not a one-size-fits-all approach for how to manage time effectively, but there is time management software that you can customize for your organization, that can help you make the most of every day. Just a few of the ways that many business owners find software like this useful is for:

 

1. Invoicing. By finding a solution that allows you to create and distribute digital invoices, and store everything in the cloud, you can not only hasten your pace, but save valuable office space. Plus, with instant, easy access to your files across your devices, you can make changes on the fly, take care of billing from virtually anywhere, and check your records no matter where you are. As an added bonus, online invoicing can help you eliminate many of the costs associated with paper, ink, and postage, and cut your invoicing costs by nearly one-third.

2. Scheduling. Rather than testing your time management skills every time you need to rework a schedule, you can use the latest software to simplify your bookings. With the power to schedule clients, meetings and even staffers using technology that’s designed to help you see the big picture, you can maximize your time – and theirs. Of course, schedulers aren’t just for your own internal use. They’re also an excellent tool for customers. By giving them access to a mobile app that allows your customers to book their appointments online – no matter where they are – you’ll empower them to manage their own time more effectively. And because you can make edits and updates, and keep track of multiple schedules from a single hub, life becomes easier for you.

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3 Mileage tracking. By allowing you to keep tabs on your mileage digitally with tracking software, you can improve your recordkeeping and enter your mileage virtually anywhere. And with digital logs that can be easily accessed and edited with software designed for your specific needs, you can save time, too.

 

4. Getting your business on the map. In the never-ending quest to get your business “out there” and keep it top of mind, the right software can make all the difference. By finding a solution that allows you to list your company’s information digitally, and update it in multiple locations at once, you can ensure that your business’s information is always correct – and gain more time to focus on your products, services and clients. In addition, when you choose a solution that gives you access to all your critical information from a single location, you can simply login to one hub and track things like outstanding invoices, unsent marketing campaigns, and customer appointments, as well as your online impressions, and even receive suggested actions and notifications about activities across your apps.

 

5. Organizing your contacts. By integrating your business contacts with time management software that’s designed to go wherever you do, you’ll never be without access to important clients, your vendors, or your team. And with the power to delegate work, order supplies, and talk to your customers virtually anywhere, this can be a powerful tool that can help drive your success.

 

When it comes to time management, in business – it can mean the difference between success and failure, closing the deal or leaving it on the table, connecting with your clients, or missing an opportunity. And that’s why choosing a time management software solution that allows you to do more than view and share your calendar is so critical. By finding a tool that integrates your billing, contacts, calendars, scheduling software and your online presence into a single hub, you can do more at the office and on the go – from virtually any device. Not only that, but it can help you run your business more efficiently – which can help you stay on top of projects, requests, and your to-do list, and ultimately reduce your stress so you can, in fact, enjoy the fruits of your labor.

 

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Business Insights and Ideas does not constitute professional tax or financial advice. You should contact your own tax or financial professional to discuss your situation.

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