How to Free Up 10 Hours a Week in Your Online Business

COLLABORATIVE POST

When you have an online business, you’re likely doing a lot of the work alone or have a limited number of staff members working remotely.

Freeing up around ten hours a week for an online business is achievable by shifting from doing it all yourself to a more strategic, automated, and delegated approach.

In this guide, you’ll understand how to free up several hours a week in your online business. From managing routine admin to using tools to automate workflows, here’s everything that can benefit your business.

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Conduct a time audit and eliminate

First and foremost, look to conduct a time audit to see where you might be wasting the time you need.

For one week, track every task you’re doing by using tools like Toggl. This will help to identify any time-wasting activities that you could give to someone else. Consider if a task still contributes to your long-term goals or increases revenue; if not, then stop doing it.

Reduce, delay, and decline any unnecessary meetings and quick favors. Stop being a ‘yes’ person.

Automate routine operations

When it comes to routine operations, it’s important to automate those operations that don’t always need your attention. A few ways to automate your routine operations include the following:

Email management

Make use of filters, templates, and folders to help handle all the common queries coming into your inbox.

Social media and content

Scheduling tools are helpful when it comes to scheduling your social media posts weeks in advance. Use platforms like Bluffer or Meta Business Suite, for example.

Invoice and bookkeeping

The use of software like QuickBooks is great for handling any recurring invoices, payment reminders, and bank feeds.

Lead generation and CRM

Using tools to help connect apps and automatically add new leads is a useful way of bolstering your CRM and making it more productive as a result.

Meeting scheduling

Replace your email efforts back and forth with tools like Calendly to help let your clients book directly with you.

Delegate work to a virtual assistant

There are many benefits to delegating work to a virtual assistant. VAs are often a good way of delegating work that needs to be done. Let’s take a look at how you can delegate work to a virtual assistant.

Hiring a VA

A virtual assistant can help take over routine tasks like data entry, customer follow-ups, and inbox triage.

Build SOPs

If you have to explain a task twice, then document it. Creating a standardized operating procedure document can help VAs and other outsourced members of staff handle it with ease..

Common tasks worth delegating

Some common tasks worth delegating include email inbox management, basic graphic design, and social media posting and engagement. The list is very much endless when it comes to VA.duties. You can hire a virtual assistant with Globaltize where they’re well experienced and knowledgeable to take on any duties required.

Optimize your workflow

To free up your hours, optimize your workflow. These include batching, where you group similar tasks, and the 90-minute rule, where you work in deep-focused, 90-minute bursts. This is then followed by a 10-15-minute break.

By freeing up precious hours, you’ll be able to maximize the success of your online business this year.

— End of collaborative post —

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