Contrary to popular belief, starting a business doesn’t always mean 60-hour work weeks, long nights and meetings at the crack of dawn.

In fact, success doesn’t have anything to do with working hard at all. What you should be focused on is working effectively. Rethinking how you work won’t just help you build a more profitable business but give you more time to enjoy your life outside of work.

This blog will explain the three ways you can work more effectively and includes some top tips to help you put these changes into places.

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Work on your business, not in it

Most entrepreneurs build businesses around a particular service or field they are experts in. But what they aren’t usually so knowledgeable about is running a business, like how to manage their finances or launch a marketing campaign.

There’s also the problem of finding the time to deal with these business operations when you’re busy providing the services. You could be missing out on new opportunities or failing to come up with and execute business strategies.

Instead of working in your business as a technician, you need to start working on it as a business leader. Try thinking of your business as a product, or an entity that operates without you. This bird’s-eye view will help you see your business as a whole and start thinking more strategically about it.

Launch You can help you make this tricky transition and support you through every stage of running a business. Its programme will provide you with training in each area of running a business, including branding, marketing and scaling a business, so you can become a business management expert.

Now you’re officially a business leader, you can focus your attention on strategic decisions and grow your business faster. And without the added pressure of being a technician simultaneously, you’ll have more time to yourself.

“In the beginning, I was definitely guilty of working in my business. And to be fair, you kind of have to to get things off the ground. But taking that step from being an employee to being a business leader is crucial if you want your business to be a success.”

Work smarter, not harder

You will have probably already heard this phrase countless times before. But don’t turn your nose up at it this time – it is a particularly important mantra for hard-working entrepreneurs. With so much to do and so little time, you should always be on the lookout to find fresh ways to get more done.

Here are some tried-and-tested ways you can start working smarter:

Focus on a handful of tasks a day: keep your to-do list short and complete one task at a time. When you’ve ticked off these high-priority tasks, then move onto the less important ones.

Go into meetings with a game plan: an outline and desired outcome for each meeting can help you keep them brief and productive. Don’t forget to give everyone an action at the end so everyone knows what they’re doing next.

Work when you’re most productive: if you have more energy in the morning or the late afternoon, schedule your most time-intensive tasks for then. For periods where you feel yourself flagging, get your short, simple tasks done.

Do similar tasks at the same time: if you have tasks related to the same project, or tasks that require similar skills and processes, group them together. You’ll probably work more efficiently as you will be familiar with the processes and resources required.

Keep communications to the point: find new ways to improve your communication skills, like staying on topic when speaking with someone, and being straightforward in emails and messages.

Set your availability in your calendar: highlight which times you will be busy so you can ensure you won’t face any distractions.

Take the hard work out of setting up your online business with Launch You

The hardest part of running a business is trial and error. Figuring out what works - and what does not - can take up a lot of time and money. With Launch You, you can be sure your business will be profitable.

Launch You will walk you through every step of your business’ journey, from setting it up and launching it, to scaling it up. You can find out more about Launch You here.

“If you’re considering starting a business, you need to sign up to Launch You. I would’ve loved a programme that could walk me through the entire process of setting up my business in the beginning.” – Zac Hemming