From marketing and customer service to billing, stocking, and miscellaneous admin work, business owners wear a lot of hats. With endless to-do lists, tackling work and managing projects each day can be overwhelming which is why it is so important to strategically structure your days. Being able to efficiently tackle the tasks you gave to get done each day will make your business much more successful and will provide you with a sense of calm, even when things are hectic.
If your days don’t feel as productive as you wish they were or you’re not getting daily tasks done efficiently, batch scheduling your days is a great way to get back into the swing of things and run a sustainable business.
Before I figured out what type of schedule and working habits worked best for me, I was constantly feeling scatterbrained and my to-do lists were never getting completed. Since I switched to batch scheduling my days, it’s been so much easier to check things off my list and I always feel so accomplished and level-headed at the end of the day.
Why You Should Batch Your Schedule
When you’re constantly switching from task to task, it takes your brain time to adjust and re-focus. By batching your tasks, you eliminate the time you lose when you’re constantly moving from task to task and you’re able to be more productive.
Depending on how your business is set up and the tasks you need to complete, you have two options for batching your schedule. The first being batching your full day. An example of this would be spending Monday on admin tasks and working in your business, tackle all of your content creation (social media, blogging, etc.) on Tuesdays, working on a project for a specific client on Wednesdays, etc. The second is batching your tasks hour-by-hour. An example of this would be answering emails from 9-10 AM, writing social media copy from 10-12 PM, working on client strategy from 12-2 PM, etc.
To determine which type of batch scheduling would work best for you, I recommend writing every task you do each day (for a week or two) and how long it takes you. After you have this list, you’ll be able to determine which type of schedule works best for you.
Tasks to Batch Schedule
Every business has different tasks that need to be completed on a daily basis and once you have a list of those tasks, it’ll be easier to figure out what to batch. But, in the meantime, here’s a general list of tasks that need to be completed in most businesses to get you started!
Emails
If you find yourself getting sucked into your inbox for hours at a time, it’s time to set a designated time for dealing with emails. While checking your inbox only a few times a day might sound scary, it’ll give you the time back to actually get work done because you won’t be distracted and you’ll still stay on top of any messages that come in throughout the day. I like to check my email when I first sit down at my desk in the morning (usually around 9:30/10 AM) so I can tackle any issues that came in overnight and add any urgent tasks to my to-do list for the day. I then check my inbox again right before I wrap up for the day (usually around 4:30 PM!) and will read, sort, and reply to any emails that came in throughout the day.
Social Media
In the age of social media, being consistent with your content and showing up for your community is crucial for growth, especially on Instagram. Posting in the moment can take up a lot of time and can be overwhelming, which is why we highly recommend planning and scheduling your social media posts for an entire month at a time. Then, each day, all you have to do is take 30 minutes to an hour to engage with your audience and community. Scheduling content in advance will also ensure you’re active even on those chaotic days that you might not have time to hop on social media.
Pssstt…. Need some tips for creating social media content for your biz?
Discovery Calls
Talking to clients and potential clients on the phone can be draining, but it’s a crucial part of running a successful business. Instead of having calls randomly throughout the week, pick a few days and time blocks that are designated for client calls. By doing this, you’ll have more free time to get work done instead of fielding calls and you’ll be able to get all of your calls done at once.
Content Writing
Having a blog for your business is a great way to not only build brand awareness but is also a great way to provide your audience with tools and resources and give your SEO a boost (learn more about the benefits of having an on-site blog!). Writing content takes a lot of time and energy and it’s often a task that many people need to be fully focused on in order to get it done. By selecting a day each month that you solely focus on content writing, you’ll be able to schedule out blog content out in advance so on those days you’re not in the mood to write or are having writer’s block, you still have content going out.
Make content creation and planning even easier with our content calendar freebie!
Graphic Creation
Creating graphics for your business, whether they’re for social media, your website, or for advertisements, can take a lot of time. Instead of creating them when you need them, set aside time to get them all done at once. This will give you a plethora of ready-to-use graphics for any project, post, or ad you’re creating without having to take the time to make them as you go.
Presentations
Creating and assembling presentations takes a lot of time but by batching them together, you’re able to create an assembly line of sorts to get them done. Always start with a template and any basic information and then go in and add any specific details, project information, graphics, etc.
