The Golden Rules of Working Smarter, Not Harder

“Work smart, not hard” is a saying that has been passed around for a while now. It carries a very simple but effective method: spend less time doing something by doing it more efficiently. The concept is simple and can be applied to virtually anything you do in life. Whether it’s taking more breaks to reset yourself mentally so you can work hard again, or setting goals to achieve before moving on to the next task, it’s incredibly important to fully grasp the concept of working smarter before you attempt to start a business.
Raising a successful company is all about working smart. It’s about taking every single advantage you can over the competition and this is often done by thinking instead of blindly working. In this article, we’re going to explain some of the golden rules of working smarter in business. Whether you’re a budding entrepreneur or a tired employee that wants to start their own company, you’re going to find these tips invaluable.
Automation will make running your business much easier
Automation is one of the key components of an efficient business. Whether it’s something on a grand scale such as an automated production line or using computers to speed up a process such as assigning work shifts to your employees, automation can be a huge boon to your company. Of course, setting up this level of automation can vary from one-click-installs to needing a specialized engineer to help you, so make sure you keep this in mind when you start thinking about adding some level of autonomy to your business.
Decision fatigue is a problem that you need to avoid
As you progress through the day, your mind will have a more difficult time making decisions. This is known as decision fatigue. This is why people find it easier to work efficiently when they just wake up, and it’s why our bodies and minds start to slow down as we reach the end of the day. If you want to work smarter, then work when your mind is at its peak performance levels, not when your brain is struggling to stay awake.
Establish passive income before investing what you can’t afford to lose
Another important rule of working smarter is to always have multiple sources of revenue. It sounds like a lot to manage, but it’s actually fairly simple once you realize that there are passive sources of income that require minimum management. For instance, you could easily write an eBook or host a blog that you occasionally post to and have advertisements or affiliate links on it to generate some money. It won’t be much at first, but it will slowly add up and help fund your dreams of becoming an entrepreneur.
Outsourcing can be the difference between success and failure
No matter how strong your workforce is, there are times when you’ll want to hire a service such as Smart MBS to help you manage certain things in your business that your staff just aren’t equipped for. Need to install a new server to upgrade your office storage? That’s something a managed business solution can help with. Need to create a web page or design a logo but have no designers on your team? That’s a job for a freelance designer. Make ample use of outsourcing and it could mean the difference between success and failure.
Set goals that you can reach, not unrealistic ones
Realistic goals are ones that you are within reach of. Telling yourself that you want to be ranked #1 on a Google search keyword or phrase is unrealistic if you’ve not even optimised your website for SEO. Make sure you set realistic expectations for your business to help boost your motivation and track your progress and you’ll be able to work harder. Some examples include making more sales than the previous week, aiming for more followers on social media or weeding out a bug in the software that you offer.
Employ a team that knows what they’re doing
Working smart also involves your staff working hard. If they’re slow, don’t know what they’re doing or lose their sense of direction, then you have to consider replacing them or educating them. Some staff can be trained to work more efficiently with a little push in the right direction. However, other staff members are simply not worth the time or monetary investment and should be removed from your company if you want to be successful. If you find yourself spending too much time with certain employees just to make them a viable choice for your business, then you should re-evaluate your decision to employ them
If you think you don’t have time for something, make it
Time is one of the most important resources we have as humans and it’s what limits us from achieving greatness in a single day. If you feel like you don’t have time for something, then you need to consider making that time yourself. For example, if you feel like your company meetings are far too long and aren’t productive to your workflow, then cut them or shorten them drastically so you have more time for other tasks. If you believe you’re not using your time productively, then it’s time to start making more time by weeding out the unproductive tasks.
Some final words to end on
Working smart is all about making effective use of your time. After all, there are only so many hours in a single day and we can’t spend them procrastinating or wasting them away on pointless things. No matter what you do in business, you need to start thinking about how to effectively use your time so that you’re not slowing down your business or making inefficient use of your resources. It will be a difficult thing to grasp when you first start your company, but as you gain more experience as an entrepreneur, these golden rules will become much clearer and help you achieve success.