Ideally, business owners should have a team or staff. So you can delegate work you’re not good at. And have more time to do the things that you like.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
If your business isn’t heavily funded, you’re forced to wear many hats. You are your own marketer, social media manager, customer support, copywriter, graphic designer, accountant, and delivery guy.
Is it possible to handle all of these roles? It is.
But without the right productivity strategies, burnout, stress, and anxiety will come knocking at your door.
As someone who manages everything on my own, I know how challenging it can be. That’s why I’m excited to share some tips on how to increase your productivity as a solopreneur.
To sum up, here are the strategies I’m going to share with you so that you can increase your productivity as a solopreneur:
- Writing a daily to-do list
- Allocating specific time blocks for each task
- Designating particular days for each type of activity
- Taking frequent breaks
- Focusing marketing efforts on 1 or 2 social media channels
- Utilizing automation tools and AI
- Asking family or friends for help
- Hiring freelancers for one-off or short-term projects
If you want to delve deeper into each strategy, keep reading to learn more.
1. Create a daily to-do list.
As a solopreneur, there’s always a multitude of tasks that you need to complete each day. Failure to prioritize and immediately do the most important tasks can result in losing customers. If you don’t want this to happen, create a daily to-do list to help keep you on track.
A daily to-do list allows you to organize your tasks in order of priority, set deadlines for each goal, and tackle less important things for later.
To create a daily to-do list, you can download to-do list apps on your smartphone, or simply use Google Docs or Sheets. Alternatively, you can go by the traditional approach of writing tasks down with a pen and paper.
Here’s what mine looks like:
This is my to-do list for Jaz Write. Yes, I know. I have ugly handwriting. 🤣
Please note that this doesn’t reflect my entire to-do list for the day.
My daily to-do list is usually more extensive since I have other side hustles, too. And I have house chores to do. I’m also a mom, BTW.
My tasks vary each day depending on my freelance writing priorities. If I have little client work, I often use the extra time to market my content writing services.
2. Use time blocks.
After identifying your daily tasks with a to-do list, assign specific time slots for each task.
Time blocking allows you to manage your time more effectively. It also helps ensure that you have time for everything you need to do for the day.
To give you an idea of how a successful solopreneur manages their day, let’s look at Justin Welsh’s daily schedule. He’s a former tech executive who has grown his one-person business to generate $1.3 million in revenue in just 2+ years.
Of course, every entrepreneur’s daily schedule is different depending on the nature of their work and personal circumstances.
If Justin’s business schedule doesn’t apply to you, here’s a rough time block schedule that can help guide you to structure your own day:
Setting aside specific time slots for each client ensures that you are making progress on each project.
Remember to adjust your schedule as needed. But having a general plan in place can increase your productivity as a solopreneur and deliver outstanding results for your clients.
3. Designate specific days for certain activities.
Another helpful strategy for managing your time as a business owner is to designate specific days for certain activities.
As a one-man team, spreading out your workload can help you stay focused and productive.
If you have an e-commerce business, consider designating specific days for various tasks. Here’s an example schedule:
By following a designated schedule, you can ensure that all essential tasks are accomplished without becoming overwhelmed or feeling like you’re neglecting any one area of your business.
4. Recharge and take breaks.
Taking breaks is an essential part of maintaining productivity throughout the workday.
For 15-minute breaks, I typically opt for slightly sweet snacks. According to detective movies WebMD, sugar enhances one’s mental alertness. Of course, too much is bad.
Aside from sweet snacks, I eat nuts and sandwiches during my breaks.
As for lunch, I always make sure to eat rice. Well, I’m Asian. And it’s practically in my DNA.
5. Focus your marketing efforts on 1 to 2 social media platforms.
It’s a good idea to focus your marketing efforts on just 1 or 2 platforms, especially if you have limited time and resources.
When deciding which platforms to focus on, consider your business type and target audience.
If you have a visually-oriented business, Instagram, Pinterest, YouTube, or TikTok are good options.
If you have an e-commerce or service-based business, Facebook can be an effective platform for marketing your brand.
As a freelance writer offering content writing services, I primarily market my services on Facebook and LinkedIn.
Once I become more proficient and efficient in my work, I plan to expand my reach to Twitter as well.
6. Use automation tools and AI.
To increase your productivity as a solopreneur, you can use automation tools and AI-powered solutions.
If you have different social media accounts, you can use a social media scheduling software like Buffer.
Although most social media platforms today have their scheduling feature, you can manage them all in one place with Buffer.
And if you don’t have the budget yet to hire a graphic designer for your promotional materials and social media graphics, you can use Canva. In fact, I used Canva to create the above sample to-do list and daily schedule.
You can also use ChatGPT to generate good content quickly and easily for free. With the right prompts, ChatGPT can provide decent ad copies, social media captions, or even blog posts.
As for me, I only use ChatGPT for blog topic ideation and creating blog outlines. I’m not fond of using it for writing an entire post because I prefer writing in my voice.
And who knows? Google might change its mind and penalize AI-written content.
7. Ask your spouse, children, or friends for help.
It can be challenging to balance your business with your personal life. Sometimes you need help to keep up with everything.
In these cases, it’s important to know when to ask for help. Your family and friends can help manage your workload without breaking the bank.
You can ask your spouse to help answer social media queries, emails, or phone calls. If you have teenage children, they can help you pack and ship products or manage social media accounts.
By asking for help, you can reduce your stress levels.
In my experience, asking my husband for help has been incredibly beneficial.
Sometimes, I ask him to help me with social media graphics, short videos, or even photography so that I can focus on content writing.
I’m so glad that I have a free employee. I can’t wait for my daughter to grow up, so I can add her as one of my staff. 😆
8. Hire freelancers for one-off projects.
If no one in your family or circles can help you with your business, you can hire freelancers for one-off projects rather than committing to a full-time staff.
By working with freelancers, you can save money and ensure you get high-quality work without a long-term commitment.
For example, you need someone to write ad copy, email campaigns, and blog posts for your business. You can hire freelance writers like me to do the job for you.
Wrapping Up
Being a solopreneur is tough.
It can be easy to get discouraged and overwhelmed with many tasks. But if you implement these productivity tips, I’m sure you’ll be able to get by.
Remember, productivity is not about working harder but about working smarter.
As a solopreneur, how do you stay productive throughout the day? Could you share your tips, too?
Hi! I’m Lem Enrile, a nurse turned freelance writer. I specialize in writing content about different topics. These include health, digital marketing, e-commerce, service-based businesses, and more! If you need top-notch content writing services, send me a message.
