Those minutes can add up to hours. Those are hours you could be spending accomplishing more work, or spending at home.
Here are ten tips to help you make the most of every moment.
1. Get rid of the clutter. If you're constantly looking for things, you're wasting time. Get rid of anything that is making your office seem disorderly.
2. Set up an efficient workstation. If you use your file cabinet often, put it close to the desk so that you don't have to walk across the room every time you need something. Keep the things you use often near the area where you're seated so that it's always at your fingertips.
3. Focus.. Multi-tasking is sometimes a necessary. However, you may find that you're flitting from one task to the next unnecessarily. Finish your current project before you go on to the next.
4. Organize your email. Delete the messages you don't need and create folders for the ones you do. When you need to find something, you have a good place to start looking instead of having to filter through hundreds of messages.
5. Keep paper organized. Instead of having to sift through piles of paper, spend 10 minutes at the end of each day filing away the things you aren't using. If you do need to keep some things out, put them in a file rack.
6. Delegate tasks. You need to allow your staff to do what they can to free you up for other opportunities. Let your secretary handle phone messages or emails that don't need your direct attention.
7. Return phone calls immediately. Don't wait for messages to pile up on your desk.
8. Have clarity about employee roles. Employees should not be duplicating each other's services. Create standard operating procedures for each position.
9. Create agendas for meetings and use them. Agendas should have time limits and you should assign someone to make sure everyone stays on topic. Keep them as short as possible.
10. Keep one calendar. Either a written or electronic calendar is a must, but you'll run into problems when you have too many of them. Don't waste time entering things into multiple planners - just keep one and keep it current.
You'll find as you get more organized and delegate tasks that it feels like there are suddenly more hours in the day. There's not - it's simply the positive result of running your business in the most efficient way possible.
