Staying productive in your business is difficult at the best of times, but let’s throw in a global pandemic, a national lockdown and home schooling into the mix and well it’s tempting to think “what’s the (insert expletive of your choice) point?”

But, to help you try to get to grips with your ‘new normal’, here’s some business tips I rely on to keep me focused and productive in my business.

1. Only check emails twice a day

I still remember the day I discovered this… I thought “are you crazy?!” But here’s the thing. If you don’t reply to an email in the first 5 minutes of it arriving… The person will just think you’re on a call, or in a meeting. People don’t expect to be able to reach you every second of the day.

Emails are for sure one of the most distracting sources there is. So, the sooner you implement a ‘check in’ schedule and then close down the window, the better… No more ‘bing bong’ notifications pulling you away from the task at hand.

2. Switch off your notifications

Similar to the first tip, switch off the audible, vibrate & on-screen notifications on your phone. There’s nothing worse than picking it up to do some hashtag research and being overwhelmed at messages and notifications.

As above, set yourself a schedule to check in with FB messenger, or Insta and keep it at that. Or if you find that hard, keep the little red circle notifications on. 

3. Get a good ‘to do’ system

You don’t win any points for trying to spin it all up in your head… Whether you buy a notepad, use the notes section on your phone, or my personal favourite, Trello, you need to get all that down on paper (digital or real!)

The reason I love digital over paper, is that you can move your tasks around back and forth, add sub tasks… Pop them across to ‘waiting on Tony’, so your actual tasks for the day itself are plain to see. Even have a team board and have visibility on what everyone is up to from a glance.

4. Create a routine

Especially if you’re working from home… The Netflix resistance can be somewhat weak if you don’t set yourself up some ground rules!

Whether it’s set hours, or a no tv rule… Whatever you find keeps you focused on what you’re doing. Stick to it and put it on repeat.

5. A regular systems audit

We can be so much more productive with the right systems around us. Regularly highlight any areas in your business where you’re doubling up, or when you identify something is a little clunky. There’s some great automation systems out there that can take the pain out of repetitive tasks. Whether it’s reconciling your accounts on Xero to setting up blocks of time for new client calls on Calendly and then allowing them to book it themselves, rather than that awful back and forth of finding a mutually suitable time. All those little timesavers will add up to a nice little extended lunch (if you build it into your routine!)

There you have it, my tips for staying productive at home. Do you have any more tips? Hop over to my Instagram and share them with me.