Handling an eCommerce business is time-consuming. You have to keep your stock in check while developing effective marketing campaigns and preparing for holiday seasons. Below, you will find 10 time management tips for your eCommerce business that you can start applying right now to your daily routine.
In addition, if you find yourself without the time to perform all of your tasks in the amount of time required to do them, you can also find a solution to any time-consuming functions for a lower price than hiring a new employee.
1. Find your Distractions
The first time management tip in this list relates to your distractors. If you are still working from home or are back in an office, there are a lot of distractors that come when working from different places. Try to keep your cellphone away from you and focus on your task. Studies show that headphones can help you be more productive in your workspace, even without listening to something.
2. Automatize
While you cannot automate most of your sales and marketing tasks, you can save time by downloading software or creating spreadsheets to help you achieve specific tasks faster. Duties like bookkeeping, copywriting, and even designing can be automated if you create a template. You can also download apps like Quickbooks or Rytr to help you with this process.
3. Create a Schedule
Creating a schedule is one of the best time management tips. A plan can help you promptly organize your tasks and eliminate any distractions that can surprise you. Another great tip is not to overdo your schedule; if you program a lot of assignments on one day, you might suffer from burnout and will stop paying attention to said schedule. Moreover, you can immediately know that it is time to change your activities by putting alarms into your calendar. Make sure also to add "free time" spaces.
4. To-Do Lists
If you prefer, you can make a to-do list instead of a schedule. While a plan might be restrictive and not provide enough time to complete a task, a to-do list provides less pressure and a little endorphin release when you check the box next to your assignment. Try to keep the list on your phone; this can help you better organize your duties in terms of urgency and importance.
5. Take a Break
As entrepreneurs would say, life is not always about work, and it shouldn't be. Program certain times around the day to take a break now and then, but don't overdo it. Having a lot of breaks can be counterproductive to your schedule or your to-do list. Three fifteen-minute breaks in an eight-hour period are an excellent way to go.
6. Avoid Multitasking
While many companies always look for a prospect that is available to multitask, the truth is that, as humans, we are not able to put our full attention to all of the things that happen when we multitask. If you place your full attention on a unique task, you will be able to perform better and faster. Then you can take the rest of the time saved into the rest of the assignments.
7. Optimize your Environment
Workspaces are essential when it comes to saving time. If your desk is full of things that can distract you, you will get distracted. Try to keep a "minimal design" type of desk with the very least things you need to complete your duties. In addition, you can also decorate the walls of your office or home to feel more comfortable in your workspace.
8. Delegate
This time management tip is more important than you think. It is expected that you want to do everything in your power to make your eCommerce brand grow, but it is impossible to complete all the tasks an enterprise has in one day. By delegating specific tasks to other employees and managers, you will be able to free some of the time you need for other things.
9. Group Tasks by Project or Type
Grouping tasks is one of the most effective ways to save time. Arranging similar functions into the same group can help you achieve the results faster than trying to do assignments from beginning to end. Moreover, if you group them by project, you will be able to destine certain days for each project without having to experience burnout the day before delivering results.
10. Urgency and Importance
First, make a list of all the tasks you have. Then, arrange those tasks from top to bottom by a sense of urgency, think which tasks have close deadlines or need to be done in the least amount of time. Lastly, organize the same assignments by a sense of importance. Arranging the assignments by importance can help you choose which tasks need to be performed first and which ones are not so relevant. In the end, you will only need to follow the list you created. It is like having a road map.
Virtual Assistants
If you are still having trouble completing your tasks after these ten time management tips, you might consider hiring extra help for your eCommerce business. But, before committing to hiring someone, you must ask yourself: What does my company needs? If nothing from the options above seems to fit this question, you can opt for a virtual assistant. Virtual assistants are avid in any field. They possess knowledge from different areas and can help you with simple tasks like scheduling, meeting arrangements, and other general tasks that you do not have the time to do.
Moreover, virtual assistants can also help you in specific tasks like social media management, bookkeeping, sales, and copywriting. They possess excellent time management skills and, most important of all; they will only charge for the number of hours they have worked for your business. Schedule a free consultation today!