11 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Increase Productivity

Being lazy is a very bad practice and brings downfall to any entrepreneur. When you are an entrepreneur, you must take action constantly and resolve issues at the soonest time possible. 

2. Socialize with colleagues

Even if you're an entrepreneur, you are never alone when it comes to your business' operations. Long periods of loneliness and isolation usually result in mental issues, and having mental problems is probably the last thing you want to have when running a company. Interacting with colleagues for short periods during the day will help ease loneliness which in turn helps you maximize productivity. 

It’s never advisable to talk about random topics during meetings especially when numerous deadlines need to be accomplished, but you can always interact with your workmates through chats or video calls as long as they’re not busy themselves. If you’re not the chatty type to begin with but enjoy listening to people chit-chat, try striking a conversation with a close colleague every now and then. Your colleagues and subordinates may also come to you for advice, so always leave the doors open so people within the organization can freely communicate with each other.  

3. Make use of free productivity tools

How to be productive in business? Make use of productivity tools. If your company is already providing everyone with all the productivity tools to help finish daily tasks, then you shouldn’t have any problem. But if you feel like some tools are not that efficient, then it’s time to put the matter into your own hands. In this age where technology drives business operations, the importance of productivity tools or apps cannot be stressed enough. Productivity tips for business owners don’t just relate to motivation but also when it comes to using modern tools. 

Productivity apps mostly come in freemium plans but if you’re the only one who’ll be using it there’s no need to avail of a monthly or yearly subscription. These apps are classified into categories such as note-taking/to-do list, time tracking, project management, collaboration, and office work. Trello, Google Keep, and Evernote are the best note taking/to-do list apps; Harvest, RescueTime, and DeskTime for time tracking; Gantt, Hubstaff Tasks, and Nifty for projection; Zoom, Microsoft Teams, and Slack for collaboration; and Google Drive, Microsoft Office, and HubSpot for office work.      

4. Bring an ‘added’ value to your company

You don’t need to become Bill Gates or Mark Zuckerberg for you to add value to your company. In some ways, the phrase "whatever an entrepreneur touches turns to gold" is true especially when it comes to a determined and passionate leader. Value can either pertain to being a motivational leader, a leader that is very knowledgeable about the ins and outs of the industry, or a leader that has excellent communication skills.  

Entrepreneurs are not perfect and may lack some skills but they also find ways to keep themselves and their employees going throughout the rest of the workweek. In this case, whatever you will be bringing to the table should always result in something positive for everyone in the organization.  

5. Making use of technology

Whatever entrepreneurship you are involved with whether it be business or social entrepreneurship, the use of technology should always be a given. Essentially, the difference between a traditional businessperson and a modern-day entrepreneur is how technology is implemented in the business. While the former is very reluctant to adopt it, the latter thrives along with it. Entrepreneurs love using all sorts of modern technologies and systems. In fact, most base their work on technology alone so that they provide a better service/product to their clients. If you are a budding entrepreneur, then even you should embrace the aid that technology offers. Technology can become one of the best mediums to improve you and your company’s productivity. 

For a start, you can utilize enterprise resource management (ERP) for better planning, execution, and coordination of your organizational goals. You can also refer to cloud computing or automated systems. Also remember that these days, you can easily control your whole company with your smart mobile phone. Every entrepreneur needs to make full utilization of all the applications and software being offered by tech companies today. As previously mentioned, apps such as Google Hangouts, Hey Monday, Slack, and Googe Drive can significantly help you with all your business needs.

6. Encourage and let your team participate

Your team is the heart and soul of your business. Many people in the past have tried going alone, but most of them have failed and have come crashing down. Your team is always going to work hard to give you the output that you need from them. Thus, it is always important that you must encourage your team and personally make them feel they are an integral part of the whole story. Hear them out, check what they have in store for you, and incorporate their plans with yours if it's applicable. Ideas will flow and a few of them will definitely result positively for your company. 

7. Develop a before/after work routine

What you do before and after work will keep you from burning out from a tiring work routine. Since you won’t have to travel to and from the office every day these days due to the COVID-19 pandemic, you can use the extra time to do something else entirely. Some activities you can include in your list include exercising, watching a movie, or eating together with family. But activities don’t have to include everyone in the household, as it can be simple as cleaning your desk or listening to a podcast. Sticking to a daily work routine for the entire workweek not only aids in maximizing productivity but also keeps you focused on what’s really important in life.   

When it comes to after-work routines, most lean towards spending the bulk of their free time on social media. Although it has some drawbacks, many use several social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and Tik Tok to keep themselves entertained. If you regularly post stuff on any of these platforms, try creating a timetable for the content you will be sharing. Although it doesn’t necessarily affect your actual job, it gives you something to look forward to after a hard day’s work.      

8. Create a separate office space

For business leaders mostly working from home, nothing can be more stressful than juggling work and family responsibilities multiple times in a single day. This is where having a separate office space at home should be prioritized above anything else. Bear in mind that there is absolutely no need to build an entire office from scratch as you can always designate rooms or spaces in your home to be your temporary workspace. Additionally, place some signs at the door or near your desk to keep family members away especially when you’re in meetings with colleagues or clients. 

Although it’s not mandatory, consider turning your temporary workspace into a lively and radiant work environment. Placing plants around your desk can be a good start; just make sure there is enough light to keep the plants healthy and energized. If you’re a hobbyist or collector, surround your desk or your entire home office with stuff that you collect, whether it be action figures, shoes, gaming consoles and accessories, instruments, or ornaments, just to name a few.   

9. Spend the entire day in a cafe or co-working space

Being a modern-day entrepreneur means you can work from practically everywhere.  As long as you have a laptop, you can freely choose your spots and do all of your work there. Cafes or co-working spaces are great places to spend the entire day if you feel like productivity is taking a hit while in the office. It’s a change of scenery and you’ll also be presented with some delicious food as well as fast and uninterrupted Internet. At this rate, you may want to consider spending the entire week or month at these places.   

Although the idea of working in a quiet and oftentimes visually stunning location can be alluring, it can also be very pricey. Take note that cafes or coffee shops require their customers to purchase drinks or food to get access to amenities. Additionally, co-working spaces require upfront payment which usually covers hourly or daily rates. You might be spending a chunk of your salary when choosing these places, but if you feel more productive when actually being outside your home then go with the decision you feel is the best one.     

10. Stay positive

In these times of a global pandemic, it’s difficult to stay positive. Thousands of people have lost jobs, homes, and even family members due to the deadly virus. But if you’ve managed to come this far and managed to hold on despite everything that has happened, changing your mindset by maintaining a positive outlook in both work and personal life can help you deal with the situation much better.

Focus on what you can control and take solace in the things you can’t. You’ll be surprised that by staying positive in the things you do on a regular basis, that attitude will eventually gravitate to the people around you such as family, friends, work colleagues, and even your pets.   

11. Walk around

Aside from loneliness and isolation, some negative psychological effects of finding motivation include anxiety and depression. Even if you maintain a regular work schedule but still feel like you’re not doing any progress with work, walking around for short periods will keep you rejuvenated and even prevent you from developing any sort of mental illness. 

Whether it be purchasing something at a nearby store, doing groceries, or taking a walk in the park, leaving the premises of your office can give you a much-needed breather. Just make sure to follow health protocols set by the local government when going outside and avoid crowded areas as much as possible. Nothing really beats fresh air and natural light to relieve work-related stress. Being relaxed will help you run better your profit or social enterprise. 

Final thoughts

It is a fact that entrepreneurship create jobs and drive economic growth. But these can never be achieved if entrepreneurs themselves don’t do the work. The 11 tips listed above should help you perform to be more productive. Success comes much faster for productive business leaders.