Are you a solo small business owner? Feeling like you’re spread too thin and could use some help? You’re not alone! In this blog post, I’m sharing some tips on how to work efficiently as a one-person team. Keep reading for advice on time management, delegation, and more. I hope these tips help you feel less overwhelmed and more productive!

When you’re starting your business it may not be in your budget right away to hire team members, but that doesn’t mean you can’t work efficiently.

There have been seasons in my business when my team has consisted of myself and a VA and there have also been seasons where I’ve had a virtual assistant and multiple contractors.

No matter the size of your team, there are always ways to work more efficiently!

Batch work to stay focused and free up your mental space

One way to be more productive is to batch your work. Batching similar tasks together will help you stay focused and avoid task-switching.

Some great tasks to batch together are:

• Recording videos
• Writing blogs
• Planning social media content

I know it can be hard to carve out time to batch work, but even setting aside one day a week to work on these tasks can make a big difference.

The goal with batching is to work on similar tasks that require the same mindset so you can stay focused and in a flow state.

You’ll be surprised at how much time you’ll save in the long run. You’ll also free yourself up mentally to focus on bigger, more strategic tasks.

Think about repeating tasks that you do on a weekly or monthly basis. These are a great place to start for batching!

Invest in the right tools for your business

Another tip for working efficiently as a solo small business owner is to invest in the right tools for your business. There are so many amazing tools out there that can help you automate tasks and stay organized.

Some of my personal favorites are:

Honeybook – Send contracts, invoices, manage client workflows

Metricool – Social Media Scheduling *a new favorite

Calendly – Scheduling consultations and meetings

FloDesk- Sending emails

Another way to work more efficiently is to use project management software, like Asana or Trello. Both offer free versions with some great features.

With project management software, you can create to-do lists, set deadlines, and assign tasks to team members.

Learn this one-word sentence fast

In order to work efficiently in your business, you have to set boundaries. And part of setting boundaries is learning how to say no.

Yes, many great opportunities come your way where you can serve others and make an impact. But you’re not superwoman and you can’t do it all!

Saying no is hard, but it’s a necessary skill if you want to be an effective leader.

You will also avoid burning yourself out, not having enough time to work on your own business, serving your clients well, and moving your business forward.

In order to show up at your best for yourself, your family, and your business, you have to learn the power of saying no.

So the next time someone asks you to do something that you don’t have time for or it isn’t aligned with your season of life right now, remember that it’s okay to say no.

If no is really hard, you can also say not right now.

Set your Fly Lady timer

When I was a stay-at-home, homeschooling mom, my kitchen timer became one of my best friends. I was first introduced to the set your timer idea from Fly Lady. Yes, Fly Lady.

Setting a timer to complete a task helped me stay focused. I knew I had a specific amount of time to complete the task and that helped me stay on track.

Not only did this help me with homeschooling my kids, but it also helped me get things done around the house.

You can use this same method in your business!

I attended a conference some years ago and learned about Parkinson’s Law… “work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion”, and it took me back to my Fly Lady days.

My timer continues to be one of my best friends and an invaluable tool. Whether I’m getting work done day-to-day, batch working, and also when I’m behind my camera at the studio.

Need Some Time and Space to Focus on What Matters Most in Your Life and Business?

I’d love to invite you to my Two-Day Reset Retreat for Women. Whether you’re a small business owner or work for someone else, this retreat will help you reset your goals, recharge your vision and finish the year stronger.

You can learn more and get your ticket here!