Are you struggling to get it all done in your business? If you’re not batching, not tracking your time, or maybe you’re still doing it alone, that might be part of the problem! In this episode, I’m sharing my weekly schedule, what I outsource, and my best tips for productivity!
Called to Both is brought to you by Joy Michelle, mom of two and multi-passionate entrepreneur who’s on a mission to help others find balance between the worlds of motherhood and business. Called to Both is the podcast for women who have big business ambitions and also want to be intentional and present moms. At Called to Both, we truly don’t believe you have to choose between these two worlds tugging at your heart You can be Called to Both.
You can stay up to date with the Called to Both Podcast by subscribing on Apple Podcast App, Spotify, or your favorite podcast player!
What My Week Looks Like
While my business and life hasn’t always looked the same and will probably continue to pivot, here’s a little look at what my current weekly schedule looks like. In my business, I’m working about 20 hours a week while a family member comes in and watches our kids Monday-Thursday from 8-1. Other than that, I’ll get a little work in during naps or an occasional Saturday depending on the season I’m in.
Time Management for Creative Entrepreneurs
After reading a few time management books and listening to different podcasts, I learned to batch the work that I’m doing each day based on a theme for the day. I started tracking my time that I spend working in my business through Toggl. After tracking for about a month, this eye-opening insight made me realize what exactly what I was spending time on and how I could group similar tasks together. Every time we task-switch, there is an adjustment period for getting into the new task, which means we’re wasting time.
Themed Work Days
Since tracking my time, I’ve opted to focus on these themed batch days in a way that works for my business.
Monday – Content Creation Day – Recording Videos, Podcasts, Email Writing, and Collaborations..
Tuesday – Coaching Call Focused Day or Collaboration Calls
Wednesday – Photoboss Facebook Group Engagement & Focus on Youtube Video Release
Thursday – Wrap Up Loose Ends for the Week / Admin / Interviews
Outsourcing in Your Life & Business
There are a variety of things that I outsource in my business and life that have allowed me to focus on the big picture in my business and do things that will move the needle forward! A few things that I do outsource in my business include:
- Video Editing for Youtube
- Blogging, Transcriptions, and Outlines of the Youtube Videos
- Graphic Creation in Canva (Listen to Episode 10 for all tools)
- Podcast Production, Graphics, and Show Notes
Within my personal life and in our home, we have outsourced:
- Home cleaning
- Meal & Grocery Delivery
- Ready Made Meal Kits
In outsourcing these things, I’m able to focus on the things that truly matter to me in both my life and business. I want to highlight that I understand that this isn’t an option for everyone and it truly depends on the season of life that you’re in, but getting the concept of outsourcing out of just your business and into your life can be so helpful for balancing your time.
What should you be outsourcing? Things you don’t need to be doing, things you aren’t great at doing, and things you don’t like doing.
For example, only I can record my videos, but someone else can edit the videos, write the outlines, and edit the transcript. By handing this to someone else, I can create more content or focus on my clients during my 20 hours of work per week.
Give Yourself a CEO Hourly Salary
As you begin to determine which activities in your business (or life) that you want to outsource, you can look at the cost of you doing it versus someone else. In order to do this, you need to position yourself as the CEO and determine what your hourly rate or hourly salary should be as the CEO.
Imagine that you’re working at $250 per hour as the CEO. With that in mind, you can look at each task in your business, how long it takes you, and ask, “Should I be doing these tasks at $250 or is there someone who could do it better than me for less?”
That’s where you start—your hourly rate will be custom to you, but you should be able to pay someone less to handle some of the tasks in your business.
Productivity Tips for Small Business Owners
Now that we’ve discussed time management in your life and business, options for outsourcing, and determining what tasks you should be doing in your business based on profit, let’s jump into some of my favorite hacks for productivity.
Actively Look for Ways to Reduce the Things You Need to Remember or Decisions I Have to Make
The less things you have to be responsible for, the more focus you can put on the important tasks. This mindset isn’t something that always requires outsourcing or hiring someone. What I’m looking at is recurring subscriptions like my kid’s diapers, our toothpaste, skincare, etc. Find ways to automate your life.
When it comes to making decisions, I will pay a little more to have things sent to me immediately rather than having the responsibility of having to remember to pick it up.
The Less I Have, the Less Overwhelmed I Feel
As a photographer, I learned how to cull images down to just the best ones, and now I do this in my life. I’ve found that the less stuff there is around me, the less stressed I feel. For example, my makeup bag only holds my most basic items and only one of each—which has been a timesaver in getting ready because I’m not making all of the decisions.
It will not only free up that mental space, but it will save you time.
Stop Underestimating Small Pockets of Time
Have you ever been given coins for change and really didn’t want to mess with carrying it around? You’ll toss it in your car or on a dish? Sometimes we view time the same way, where if there is just a small pocket of it, it’s not of any value. Boy, is that the wrong mindset.
When I would have 10 minutes before a call, I used to just scroll and kill time. Now, I think, oh I have ten minutes that I can check back in and get some work done—emails, team responses, crafting interviews, etc.
You can do incredible things in 5, 10, and 15 minute chunks. This is a great way to take back your time to be more productive. I have a list of small tasks that I can go reference to utilize that time.
Use a timer when you’re working.
You can trick yourself into completing a task if you’re not motivated by simply setting a timer and seeing how much you can get done.
Use a Project Management Tool
When you have a project management system, you can track projects you need to work on and generate lists of things you can be working on in the future.
Create Themed Workdays
Above, I shared what all I do for my themed workdays, and I truly believe it has saved me so much time in my business.
Batch Your Work
If you’re going to be recording something, preparing for it, getting ready, then getting into that headspace, consider making a few at once so you’re already in that mindset. Doing this with all of your tasks will also save you time and make you more productive.
Caveat: Create limits for yourself though so you don’t burn out.
Have a Plan & Plan to Plan
Just a few minutes of planning can be a game-changer in your business so you’re not making too many decisions each day or week. For me, each year I love booking a hotel or airbnb and having a planning day for the following year. Then I review on a quarterly basis. Additionally, I sit down on a weekly basis for a few minutes to review what I need to complete.
Build Out Your Team
Whether that’s in your personal life or business, building a support team will help you with your own productivity!
If you enjoyed this episode or even have tips that have helped you in your life, I’d love to hear from you over at @joymichelle on Instagram!
Come Join the Called to Both Facebook Group!
Review the Important Sections:
What My Week Looks Like (3:37)
Outsourcing (10:35)
Your CEO Salary (17:28)
Favorite Productivity Tips (18:58)
Connect with Joy:
Instagram: instagram.com/joyymichelle
Youtube: youtube.com/channel/UC-Ou6jRKxcjMrVMxWxLO_fQ
Facebook: facebook.com/joymichellephotography
If you decide to use any of the links above and buy through them, I’ll receive a small commission back. All of those affiliate income commissions really add up over time and help generate revenue to help support this channel
Looking for the Transcript?
