4 of the Biggest Time Suckers for Small Business Owners
We all know the feeling of sitting down to work, knowing that before you can get started on the work you want to do, you must tackle the work you need to do. Then, what you assumed to be a simple morning of housekeeping and administrative tasks winds up consuming your entire day. Next thing you know, the sun is setting, and you have yet to even touch the work that composes the core of your business.
We refer to these tasks as ‘time suckers.’ But the term ‘time sucker’ can also refer to anything unrelated to your specific expertise or core service that has the potential to eat up your daily schedule. The biggest time suckers look different for each individual business owner, so we recommend taking the time to sit down, reflect, and determine what is causing you to lose most of your day.
Below are four examples of what we have encountered to be some of the worst time suckers for business owners, plus solutions on how to reclaim your workday and recenter your schedule around what you are most passionate about.
1. Administrative Tasks
For business owners who operate independently or with a small staff, administrative tasks such as bookkeeping, office management, data entry, and project coordination can often, unfortunately, land in the lap of those in leadership.
Proper administration is crucial for your business’s operations, but these tasks require sufficient time and attention for everything to run as smoothly as possible. Rushing through administration work or attempting to multitask while conducting other business may result in critical errors.
Many small businesses may not have the budget to hire an assistant or office manager full-time, but other options do exist. Fractional, outsourced, and part-time assistant services can provide some much-needed relief for overworked business owners. Depending on your business’s current needs, fractional and outsourced employees are also available for customer service, accounting, and even management positions.
2. Marketing and Outreach
Standing out within your market is a tough proposition. You have the services, but do you have the marketing insight needed to attract and engage new customers and clients?
Effectively marketing your services and attracting new clients requires a certain expertise that many business owners do not have the time or bandwidth required to learn. Because of this, independently marketing your business and developing outreach strategies may prove to be an example of a time sucker that does not yield any positive result whatsoever.
Rather, we recommend business owners seek the guidance of a professional marketing consultant or ongoing marketing service before developing any outreach plans. Marketing professionals can help you construct a unique brand identity and develop communication tools to ensure that your firm’s mission and vision are being seen by the right people.
3. Technology Services
How much time of the day are you losing due to outmoded processes and technology? Similar to marketing services, your business’s IT needs are best left in the hands of a dedicated professional. However, business owners can also save valuable time by utilizing new and emerging technologies to better streamline operations.
Consider automation for tasks such as scheduling, budgeting, invoicing, and expense management. Automation can also be utilized for more sophisticated processes, such as tracking inventory and responding to client inquiries. Current CRM software also offers automated lead capture and sales forecasting.
4. Sales and Business Growth
For many small to mid-sized businesses, the disheartening time suckers may come directly from their sales team. Between the time spent onboarding new salespeople, developing their skills, and training them to follow a sales process, business owners invest many hours into making sure that their products or services are being accurately represented.
So, when sales drop or stagnate, and team members consistently struggle with closing, business owners may feel as though their options for improving the situation are limited. Rather than sink even more time and energy into further training and development, consider investing in a temporary change in management.
As mentioned above, fractional sales management services are available for business owners who are looking to spend more time on the work they are passionate about. Fractional sales managers collaborate with business owners and their sales teams to increase productivity, develop new strategies, and establish a more consistent sales process.
We recommend that you take the time to identify areas where your business could be losing valuable time and explore the available opportunities to eliminate time suckers to ensure that your business is operating at its peak. For more information about how fractional sales management services offered by Sebastian Lane Consulting can empower your sales team and grow your business, reach out to our office today at 443-534-6783 or email us at jesse@sebastianlaneconsulting.com.