Last week I wrote an article about smarter learning, useful for children who are in secondary school, for example. But at that moment I immediately realized that working smarter is also 'a thing'. Since a considerable part of our readers are also self-employed, I thought it would be nice to write an article with tips about working smarter, not harder. Because by working smarter you can save time and as an entrepreneur you really have some time left to spend on your company. Instead of working for your company. After all, you did not become an entrepreneur for nothing. However? The tips below range from saving time to saving money as an entrepreneur by, for example, using discount codes such as the hp discount code valid on the online store for the purchase of equipment. Because that too is working smarter; save money and make a profit as an entrepreneur.
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To be fair, I myself also had to learn to work smarter instead of just working more hours. Because in the beginning you go for everything 120%. And you often do that in terms of time use. What am I saying? In the beginning I worked 150% more hours than nowadays. Every start requires attention. And what you pay attention to, it grows. We all know that. However, more attention does not automatically mean that growth is going in the right direction.
As an entrepreneur you actually have to be at home in all markets. After all, it's your own business and you need to know what's going on. However, this does not mean that you have to be able to do everything yourself in detail. For example, it may just be that you are not very good at your administration. Does it cost you a lot of time to keep the administration in order? Then it is smart to opt for a good and practical accounting program to keep your zzp administration clear.
I think keeping focus is one of the hardest things as an entrepreneur. Just when your creative brain is running wild with all kinds of ideas to get started with, you can ask yourself whether these ideas contribute to your company. That is one of the spearheads of not working harder but smarter. Focus on a few things that you want your business to excel at. I experienced it myself. A successful blog and a (separate) successful webshop is quite difficult to combine. In the end I chose to continue with MamsatWork and focus all my attention on that. Since I do that, the growth of my website seems unstoppable.
Another great example from my practice. As a starting entrepreneur, you are probably inclined to take on all assignments that come along. You simply want to invest your sandwich, so that is very understandable. Yet there may just be assignments (or customers) that actually do not suit you very well. Assignments that cost you a lot of (negative) energy and therefore do not contribute to the growth of your company. If you have the option, it is smart to ask each customer in advance whether it is right for you and your company. If you are really in need of money, then I completely understand that you will accept the assignment. But can you choose? Then choose the positive assignments. The assignments that make you happy and that you think fit the image of your company.
We all know them, the time wasters called social media. Don't be tempted to keep scrolling. Agree with yourself that you will check in the morning or at noon, for example, and then not anymore. This also applies to your email. You work much more efficiently if you limit these jammers and their use to a few moments a day. Then you are really talking about working smarter and not harder. You just use all your hours as you should.
This actually connects to the jammers from above. “We” women tend to think that we can do several things at once. Now that may be partly the case, but it has now been proven that this does not make you work more effectively. Don't want to work harder but prefer to be smarter at work? Then it is necessary that you leave multitasking for what it is; not practical. You lose time because of this. So do not check your mail while you are actually working on an assignment, for example.
I do have a hand in this myself, but I always notice it immediately when I do that. If I'm working on an article and I see an email coming in that I want to check, then I have to get back in there. So stupid, because that takes time.
Admittedly, it is not for everyone to outsource business activities. But if you can't afford the money, it is definitely recommended to put specialists to work for you. This allows you to work smarter instead of harder. And you spend the time that you have left on the things you are really good at. For example, think of a VA who does your social media. Or let your husband do the administration 😉 .
Start the morning with your planning; this way you don't have to pull harder on your to do list, but you work smarter. Determine which activities should be prioritized and what your deadlines are. In this way you get a clear picture of what tasks you have to do this day and you can create a little more order in the chaos.
A good system is half the battle, as is good planning. So I made a list for myself, just in a simple erasable notepad. On this list I keep track of which assignments I have to write for which clients. When these need to be completed, whether the blog has been written and whether I have already made the invoice. By working in table form, with columns and blocks that I can color when I have completed the activity, the status is clear to me at a glance.
I immediately see which invoices I still have to make, whether the blogs have already been scheduled for publication or are available for preview at the customer. And when the assignment is complete, I'll wipe it off my list. Super simple and effective. Now this system may not work exactly like that for you, but try to find out for yourself which system you can best use to work smarter and not harder.
Tip:take a look at a great CRM system for all your customer data and customer maintenance. I can tell you a recommendation.
