6 Tools To Save You Time In Business

Not enough hours during the day to get what you want done, or to focus on growing your Small Business? The key is to find tools to save you time and reduce your work load.

Use the tools to save you time so you can focus your energy on what is truly important, the revenue generating activities, to help your Small Business grow.

I went from running large multi-million dollar businesses, with a large team around me, who helped make it all happen, to starting my second Small Business venture and doing it all myself, again.

At the beginning, I struggled to have complete focus, and felt like I was overwhelmed all the time. However, I soon realised I needed to source tools, technology and tricks to ensure my business runs efficiently.

I now have the critical time required to work on revenue generating activities to ensure my business grows and is successful.

Below is a list of secret weapons which will help you to stop letting limited time hinder your Small Business’s growth.

1. GOOGLE ANALYTICS

With any business, it’s all about the numbers. It’s really important to know how much traffic your website is generating, where does the majority of that traffic come from? What are some key demographics of your target audience?

Google Analytics provide insights on your website’s performance each month, which can help you better understand your visitors so you can create and improve the customer experience, so they keep coming back. You can see your traffic source; to ensure you’re getting a return on investment from your marketing.  You’ll also be able to identify opportunities.

For example, if you can see there is a particular referral site that is sending you a high percentage of traffic, then there is an opportunity to develop upon those relationships.

2. WISESTAMP

To represent your business professionally, it’s important to have a good email signature. Wisestamp allows you to customise the look and feel of your signature.

You can include the necessary contact details, and it also allows you to add your social media details; you can include an image too. I include my current podcast link in each signature, which helps promote my podcast and drives traffic to my site.

You could include new program details; videos or blog post links. You can customise the colour of your signature too, so it compliments your brand’s look and feel.

3. ZOOM

I’ve used many webinar platforms, particularly for training or teleconferencing purposes. However, none compare to Zoom; this tool is so professional. It offers clear audio, high-quality video. There are also optional paid functions; nevertheless, I find the free plan is the perfect place to start.

Another great feature is the webinar function; it offers tools such as attendee sign-on pages, and email reminders. I find Zoom much better for client meeting. I was using Skype, but the call quality was not always consistent.

4. SLIDESHARE

In the digital world, being seen and present is paramount. Over 60 million users access this platform monthly; over 400,00 new presentations are viewed each month, and more than 10 million presentations are uploaded each month.

I introduced Slideshare as a tool in one of the large businesses where I was CEO, and it became a source of referral traffic very quickly. We were selling business services, and mentoring services; we uploaded presentations in relation to growing your business, which positioned us as an authority.

Slideshare is more than just a place to upload your webinar or workshop slides. It is a content marketing platform that allows you to share your knowledge and information; helping to increase your reach and generate leads.

5. WORDSWAG

With this little app, it looks like I have a full time designer on my team. As with most Small-Business owners, I’m on the go all the time, Wordswag allows me to quickly create a graphic to post to my social media accounts. It could be a motivational quote, or I can use my own images. I add my logo and there you have it, a masterpiece which is fully branded in less than one minute.

6. OUTSOURCING

The biggest time saver for me, is to outsource. I outsource my video creations, my collateral designs, my voice over requirements and my administrative duties.

A Virtual Assistant is a great option for handling admin duties. Why would you spend time on data entry, travel arrangements, or setting up meetings, invoicing, etc when you could be working on revenue generating activities or growing your business? Think about what you do daily, and attempt to delegate the tasks that keep you busy, but are not focused on generating income or growing your business.

I use a few different platforms, including Fiverr, Design Crowd & Upwork. The key to outsourcing is to find the right person for your business, this might not happen the first time; I’ve had my share of bad experiences, but don’t give up, because when you find the right fit, the rewards out weight the risks.

Limited time, limited resources and limited budgets are all factors that restrict your Small Business’s potential. Leveraging the right tools will see you on your way to reaching your business goals sooner.

Don’t get caught up in doing it all yourself!

My recommendations are in no way sponsored – there are many tools out there, but these are the ones I use.