As a small business owner, it is crucial to stay up to date with your industry. In today’s fast-moving world, it’s easy to fall behind. Increasing your productivity will set you up for success by saving you time and money. Here are six productivity tips that will help you thrive in your small business venture.

1. Manage your email inbox: Consider using Boomerang for Gmail. This service sends you email reminders and allows you to schedule emails to be sent at a time you choose.

2. Schedule social media: Later.com is a fantastic website you can use to schedule future social media posts. This is a typical case of ‘work now, rest later’. Spending three hours planning your social media posts for the week on a Monday morning means you don’t have to think about your online content for a whole week!

3. Streamlining your bookkeeping: When you’re starting out, use Xero or Quickbooks. These cloud-based accounting software programs are great for small and medium-sized businesses.

4. Do away with the traditional ‘multi-tasking’ mindset: Contrary to previous beliefs, new studies are continuing to show evidence for improved efficiency when ‘single-tasking’. Allow yourself to stay focused on a task at a time, for a set amount of time (try 20-minute intervals with short breaks between). This can make finishing a task sooner much more achievable.

5. Plan your week: Give yourself a good chunk of time to sit down and write up a plan for your working week. Effectively planning your activities (such as your business strategy, meetings etc) and prioritising each means that you won’t end up spending time on less important tasks, and running out of time for those that need the most attention.

6. Get to know the value of your time as an entrepreneur: Before committing to 10 meetings that may or may not require your being present, consider the most efficient ways to achieve your desired outcome. Ensure any meetings that are scheduled have a clear purpose and don’t be afraid to be ruthless with declining meetings if you know an email conversation will suffice.

Productive businesses run efficiently, grow and produce profits. Consistently utilising these tips will help ensure the long-term success of your business. Good luck!