When you’re someone who happens to run your own business, we’re willing to bet that you have two top priorities: financial profit and productivity. Well, something that you can do that will help you to get significant results in both categories is if you simplify how you run your company.
If you’re interested in knowing some of the easiest business process simplification tips that can ultimately make you more effective, we’ve got five great ones for you below:
Hire a virtual assistant. If you run a company out of your house or, business is starting to pick up, you’re feeling a bit overwhelmed and you’re wondering if it’s time to hire some help, how about going with a virtual assistant? They can help you with everything from checking and returning messages, to booking your travel to even doing your accounting. And aside from all of the work that they can help you with, as an added bonus, you don’t have to worry about providing a work space for them; plus, they are usually contract workers who are responsible for their own taxes. It’s a win/win all the way around.
Check your email less. Here’s something that just might surprise you. Did you know that according to several reports, on average, we spend as much as 13 hours each week, just checking and responding to emails? There’s absolutely no telling what else you could get done within that timeframe, so try and make a habit of only looking at your email a couple of times per day.
Pay your bills ahead of schedule. Another thing that tends to be pretty time-consuming is paying bills. That’s why it really is best to have a business account and then set it up in such a way where money is taken out automatically each month for your business expenses. Another tip that can keep you ahead of the game is to pay your smaller bills months in advance. Oftentimes, by being willing to do so, creditors will even offer you a discount.
File your taxes electronically. Something that no business owner really looks forward to is tax season. Yet, it’s something that all of us must face. And if you were to ask a company like TeamTelligent about one way that you could simplify business when it comes to dealing with the IRS, one of the things we’re willing to bet that they’d recommend is that you first hire a professional accountant and then that you’d make sure that they file your taxes electronically. It’s paperless which makes it good for the environment and online which makes the transaction immediate.
Use business apps. There used to be a time when business owners had to rely on their landline and the postal service to get work done. Now, thanks to the internet, social media accounts, cell phones and also cell phone apps, you are able to run your business from anywhere in the world, at any time, for a pretty reasonable cost. And so, if you’re not someone who has tried some of the business apps that are available for downloading on smartphones, we highly recommend that you try a few. They are a truly effective way to keep up with your schedule, your budget and so much more. For a list of some of the top business apps that are currently available, visit Business Insider and put “apps to help you do your job” in the search field.