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I like what I do, BUT…

Who doesn’t wish to shave off just a few repetitive time-sucking duties to allow them to spend extra time doing what they really love? Which in my case means strapping a one-year-old to my again and occurring each day adventures round Colorado.

I’m at all times on the lookout for methods to streamline my enterprise, so at this time I’m bringing you 10 hacks to save lots of time so you possibly can spend fewer hours every week behind the laptop computer.

1. Gmail Shortcuts

I realized this just a few years in the past (from this infographic) and it has modified my life. It takes so many clicks to ahead or reply to an electronic mail, pop it out so I can learn the e-mail I’m replying to as I reply, after which ship. Now all I do is hit shift + R and I’m replying in a popped out window. This protects me in all probability a minute a day, which I do know isn’t rather a lot. However it’s the precept of the factor!

I’ve been utilizing Gmail shortcuts like this for years and it’s a lot simpler to by no means need to carry my fingers from the keys. To allow shortcuts, simply go to your Settings > Basic > Keyboard Shortcuts and allow them.

You possibly can click on the Be taught Extra button to study what all of the totally different shortcuts are, as you can’t customise any of those shortcuts.

2. Create Shortcuts in your Telephone and Laptop

If I sort @@ on my telephone and even right here on my laptop, it is going to routinely change to my electronic mail deal with. If I sort qqq it is going to routinely sort my web site URL. Little issues that I inevitably find yourself texting or messaging to individuals almost day by day which might be a complete ache to sort.

After typing my shortcut, I can hit the enter key or spacebar for the qqq to get replaced with heathandalyssa.com/ (I added the slash on the finish so I can simply add a slug if directing somebody to a particular web page on my web site).

To create these, open the Settings app in your iPhone (I take advantage of a MacBook so this can sync with my laptop computer) and go to Basic > Keyboard. Then click on Textual content Substitute on the high of the display screen and create your quick cuts.

It is a tip I picked up from Chalene Johnson final yr. She initially prompt it for anybody who replies to lots of Fb or Instagram messages with comparable phrases like “thanks ” or “aw thanks a lot!” These may very well be ty1 and ty2 and if you happen to get dozens of replies to your Instagram, can actually prevent a while (and spelling errors!).

3. Preserve Your To-do Checklist Up to date

Do you ever get a extremely good concept once you’re out climbing? Or at dinner with buddies? Or perhaps you bear in mind an electronic mail you want to ship as you’re strolling into a gathering?

For a very long time, I used to be the queen of remembering one thing 5 totally different instances earlier than I truly did it as a result of I’d at all times be in the midst of one thing vital and overlook over again. (Am I alone on this?)

Which is why I like Trello.

(And speak about it on a regular basis apparently.)

It’s an incredible device for holding working to-do lists, managing tasks, and even working with a staff.

However I feel it’s most understated use is being the place the place I can write down these little duties that get simply forgotten. Like once you’re falling asleep and suppose “oh crap, I forgot to hit launch on that advert marketing campaign” or “I despatched over that weblog put up however forgot to ship images.” Or, most frequently, once you’re engaged on one thing and provide you with a extremely good weblog put up concept and suppose “Oh I’ll completely bear in mind this concept—it’s wonderful!” After which 5 minutes later you possibly can’t recollect it in any respect.

Now that I give it some thought, I may be a forgetful individual…

However then once I open my laptop computer very first thing within the morning, I do know I’ve a whole listing of every little thing I have to work on and lists of all of my concepts and future tasks to sort out. No extra sitting in entrance of the pc attempting to determine what to get began on subsequent.

4. Automate Invoicing

I’ve at all times had a love-hate relationship with invoices. I like making a living. I hate the tedious course of of making invoices. I began utilizing Freshbooks for invoices for just a few key automation options:

It can save you consumer profiles, so primary data like consumer identify, firm, deal with, the e-mail deal with(es) the bill goes to are all saved. I simply select from a dropdown menu who I’m invoicing and all these fields are auto-populated.
You possibly can set recurring invoices for any shoppers you may have on retainer. Then you will get paid every month like clockwork and by no means need to carry a finger. (Properly, you do nonetheless need to do the work that will get you paid within the first place.)

Plus, shoppers may pay by bank card which is one thing I do know just a few of my shoppers at all times select over the effort of slicing checks.

Freshbooks is a paid service we use, however I’ve heard many entrepreneurs who love and use Wave, which is free.

5. Use Calendar Reserving Companies

Why oh WHY is reserving assembly instances with individuals such a problem?

You want a six message lengthy thread simply to decide on just a few date and time choices, after which somebody has to truly create a calendar occasion and invite the opposite individual, in any other case, one or each of you overlook.

It’s annoying as all get out.

We began utilizing Calendly just a few years in the past for reserving podcast interviews and now we use it for all several types of conferences. We create all of the totally different assembly sorts (podcast interview, 30-minute assembly, RVE summit 60 minute assembly, and so on.) and it syncs our availability with our Google calendar. We ship one reserving hyperlink, you ebook a time that works for you, and its added to each of our calendars. We each get electronic mail confirmations and save ourselves years of backwards and forwards (in all probability).

This has labored rather well for years, however then just a few months in the past, I realized that Calendly integrates with Zoom. This implies once you ebook a gathering, the flamboyant integration will routinely put all the required Zoom hyperlinks and telephone numbers in your calendar. (I manually did this FOR YEARS, which takes at the very least ten minutes per assembly, earlier than I even realized this was a factor. Smh.)

You can too save time by batching actions like I talked about earlier this month and scheduling all of your conferences for less than at some point every week. Or by no means have conferences.

Associated: 14 Ideas for Working in an RV

6. Integrations and Automations

Talking of integrations! They save soooo a lot time and Zapier has a ton of them.

You will discover zaps to attach HUNDREDS of apps.

For instance, when somebody buys a ticket to our RV Entrepreneur Summit, I would like them to be added to our ConvertKit and tagged “Summit ticket holder” so I can ship them occasion data. Properly for the primary two Summits, I manually exported electronic mail addresses from Eventbrite and uploaded them to ConvertKit. We promote tickets often for a 3-6 month interval, so I had to do that typically.

Such a waste of time.

Now there’s a zap and I by no means need to export a CSV, add the CSV, select the right fields, set the right tag, and look ahead to a affirmation electronic mail that every one the emails have been uploaded. I don’t have to consider it in any respect!

Integrations and automations are an incredible method to save your self infinite quantities of time, particularly on mindlessly straightforward duties like this! You possibly can work out which apps you possibly can construct integrations and automations on Zapier’s web site right here.

7. Develop Methods and Processes

Once I write a weblog put up, my course of goes like this:

Decide 4 weblog posts for the month (all on the same theme) from my ongoing listing of weblog concepts I carry on Trello
Define every weblog
Write every weblog put up
Add images, featured picture, and key phrases
Schedule for the assigned date on my content material calendar
Write a publication to share that weblog put up on Wednesday morning

It’s a system I’ve spent years updating. Earlier than, I might write when impressed or once I obtained a good suggestion. I might overlook so as to add any images, by no means set search engine optimization key phrases, and generally by no means even share the weblog! Mainly I used to be failing at being a blogger.

I wanted a course of to observe to remove all of my distractions and provides me a transparent path to observe. Creating processes and methods is without doubt one of the finest methods to streamline your online business.

For some actually nice insights on how you can develop methods and processes for your self, I extremely suggest watching this presentation by Dani Schnakenberg from our 2019 RV Entrepreneur Summit:

8. Outsourcing

One of many largest methods to save lots of time?

Outsource.

Delegate the issues you find yourself doing on a regular basis so you possibly can give attention to the stuff that solely you are able to do. We’ve had an incredible podcast episode on this: The right way to Multiply Your self and Get Extra Accomplished by Jill Sessa (who I’ve outsourced all our web site administration to!).

9. Kind quicker

An understated method to save time and get stuff completed quicker? Kind quicker.

I haven’t practiced typing for the reason that eighth grade when my buddies and I took it so we may all compete to see who typed the quickest. (Oh my, was a nerd in center faculty?)

You need to use web sites like Keybr.com to observe your typing expertise and enhance your typing pace.

I additionally use Grammarly to catch my typing errors for me so I spend much less time proofreading.

(Additionally, I’m with Jim typing 65 wpm. I don’t understand how Pam can sort 90!)

10. Cut back Distractions

Final however not least, let’s save ourselves time by limiting distractions. There are many methods to do that:

Use Display Time in your telephone to restrict the usage of time-wasting apps
Set Downtime throughout work hours in your telephone so you possibly can solely use your telephone as a telephone (Settings > Display Time > Downtime)
Restrict your time on social media in your laptop utilizing plugins like Newsfeed Eradicator
For goodness sakes, flip in your Do Not Disturb mode. That’s what it’s for! We don’t want no stinking notifications.
Equally, shut your electronic mail and test it just a few instances a day so that you don’t get sucked into that soulless vortex.

What different time-saving suggestions do you may have? Share your finest one within the feedback!