~by Annabelle Smyth~
Running a business ain’t easy. In today’s business environment, there are more distractions than ever and there is so much information available that it’s easy to get caught up in tasks that are a waste of time. Additionally, as small businesses continue to grow, more and more falls onto your plate, which can be overwhelming.
So, business owners, let’s make it simple. Here are three very simple ways to streamline your workload and free up more of your time to actually make great business decisions.
Use a Managed Web-Hosting Service
You already have a great website. It looks clean, has great calls to action, allows visitors to quickly and easily find what they are looking for, and your traffic is growing. When suddenly, you get a huge surge in traffic, or something fails on the back end, and without warning your site no longer works. If your business survives on e-Commerce or website traffic, this can be detrimental. Not to mention the headache that you’re going to get trying to fix it all yourself. Inc.com wrote that 21 percent of small businesses felt that they lacked the technical expertise required to effectively run a website. Instead, try using a managed hosting service that provides services like server monitoring, security, managed storage, managed databases, and site backups.
Invest in HRIS Software
Keeping track of benefits, time off, applicants, and other typical duties of a Human Resources (HR) department are incredibly time consuming. And hiring an in-house HR department is incredibly expensive. In fact, according to a study, HR work consumes 25-35% of a small business owner’s time, while 7-25% of time is spent handling employee paperwork. By investing in cloud-based HRIS (HR information system) software, you can free up tons of time in your workday by automating tasks and ditching the spreadsheets. Most HRIS software providers are essentially an entire HR department in one small, inexpensive and incredibly powerful package.
Outsource your Bookkeeping
Accounting and doing the taxes for your small business may just be the one thing that every small business owner dreads doing. And for good reason: it’s difficult, time-consuming, and if you mess it up there are consequences. By outsourcing your bookkeeping to an accounting professional, not only do you take a huge load off your shoulders, but you free up hours upon hours of time to make the important decisions for your business. One poll states that 40 percent of small business owners spend over 80 hours a year on accounting related activities. Make sure to do your research and choose an accounting professional that has your business’ interests at heart, is qualified, and is trustworthy.
There are so many aspects that make running your business difficult, but there are a great deal of options available to make your job easier. You’ve already taken the biggest risk by just starting your business. So there is no need to stress out about the nuances of your website hosting, HR and employment processes, and bookkeeping. By outsourcing the workload of these specific areas of your business, you will save money in the long run, and save time!
Meet the Author: Annabelle Smyth
Annabelle Smyth is a freelance writer who covers everything from HR software to technology and leadership skills. She currently works for BambooHR. She enjoys learning more about how to make leaders and businesses successful.
