NFIB

DonÆt Let Routine Work Rule Your Day
09/ 20/ 2002

Routine daily tasks such as paying bills, answering email and ordering supplies can eat up the time of all but the most organized small business owner. These tasks cannot be avoided, but they can be simplified and done more quickly by following the tips offered in todayÆs Workshop by contributor Jeffrey Moses.

When you find that an uncomfortably high percentage of your workday is taken up with mundane routine activities, take a few minutes and write a list of every activity you consider "routine." Based on this list, you can begin organizing to take care of the activities more efficiently. For starters:

Set aside a specific time for all of your routine tasks.

Pick times that donÆt conflict with more important activities, such as contacting new customers, talking with potential investors or spending time with family members. For instance, you might pay and file bills late in the workday (immediately before leaving for dinner) or early on a Saturday morning, times when contacting new customers is usually difficult.

Organize your office early in the morning when youÆre fresh.

That will get you off to a good start and help induce a positive feeling through the day as you tackle more important activities.

Group all your errands together so you have to make only one or two trips during the week.

Running out every day eats up time and greatly reduces your productivity.

Return calls when people will most likely be at their phones.

Best is usually before lunch; later in the day, people are usually harder to reach. When leaving voice messages, give a specific time for them to return your call. This will help reduce the back-and-forth phone tag that eats up so much time.

Keep lists.

Jotting down the office supplies or groceries you need as you think of them will save you from making extra trips to the store for forgotten items.

Balance your checkbooks as soon as statements arrive.

This makes your accounts easier to balance than waiting for several monthsÆ worth of statements to come in, when it could take hours of work to figure out why the numbers donÆt mesh.

Organize your office so that itÆs as efficient as possible in every respect.

Keep materials in file folders, rather than strung all over your desk. File material using a system that allows you to put your hands on important information quickly. If a particular piece of equipment such as a photocopier or fax machine gives you trouble and constantly wastes your time, replace it.

If your office is disorganized beyond hope of redemption, consider contacting a "clutter buster" to come in and help you. Often for less than $150, your entire office can be transformed.

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