One thing I don’t have time for as a small business is wasting time. 

If you’re anything like me, you are juggling a full plate every week and want to use your time and energy as effectively as possible. Nowadays, it seems that with every social media post or podcast episode distracting you, you get caught up in tasks you have no business spending time on. In fact, there’s a chance right now that your to-do list is full of activities and tasks that drain your productivity and hinder your business growth without you even knowing it.

This month, I want to help you identify areas in your business that might be masquerading as MVPs when really they are your least valuable players.  Let’s explore five common areas where you may be wasting precious resources and discover alternative areas that deserve your focus instead. 

#1 Excessive Administrative Tasks

You don’t need to be “Amy Admin” every day. It’s common for small business owners to spend an excessive amount of time on administrative tasks like bookkeeping, scheduling, and paperwork – especially solopreneurs. You might be saying “If I don’t do it, who will?” but the answer doesn’t have to be someone else necessarily. If you are ready to delegate some of these tasks, start by adding in an intern or virtual assistant.  If you’re not ready to make that investment just yet, consider setting up automations for things like communications, scheduling and more. The repetitive tasks in your business are usually the easiest to simplify and automate so start there. 

#2  Niching Down

Somewhere there’s a business guru on Instagram clutching their pearls as I write this. Are there benefits to niching down and focusing on a specific topic or offer? Yes. The purpose of “niching down” is to home in on what you want your customers to know your business for. Instead of spending time trying to make sure every offer and message you share fits into a perfect little niche box, think about how you are showing up. Is your messaging showcasing how you work with people and the overall impact your brand makes on people? You don’t have to niche down to serve only one customer; instead concentrate on creating a cohesive brand story and core culture and message. 

#3 Overcomplicating Your Marketing

If you feel like you’re wasting time and energy on ineffective marketing strategies, maybe you’re not far off.  It’s important to assess your marketing efforts regularly and identify tactics that yield the best results. Stop worrying about what other brands are doing – marketing isn’t meant to be a cookie cutter strategy. What works for them may not work for you. Focus on implementing strategies that align with your time, abilities, and target audience, and always keep simplifying as you go. You don’t have to create content daily, but you do have to lean into your core messaging and market in a way that you can keep up with consistently. When you invest your time and energy into the right marketing platforms and efforts, you can reach a wider audience and generate more leads.

#4 Reinventing the Content Wheel

You want fresh content that your audience (and you) don’t get bored with, right? How else are you going to stand out in a saturated industry? But you don’t have to create brand new content to do it! Don’t waste precious time reinventing the wheel when it comes to your social media posts, blogs, email marketing and more. Think about what’s already working. What content has been well received by your audience in the past? Do you have previous social media captions you can reshare or flesh out into an email or other longer form content piece? Your audience won’t realize they are seeing repurposed content and it will not only save you time, but help drive home the message and value of your business because you’re staying aligned with your own existing content. 

#5 Hustling Until It Hurts

As a business owner chances are, you’re no stranger to burnout. While I’m sure somedays it feels too easy to neglect your own time and well being in pursuit of the success you are working so hard towards, it’s not as helpful as you think. The journey you’re on is for the long haul, so creating boundaries and sticking to them is going to be your best tool. When you push too hard you actually end up less creative and productive. You need to create time for activities that promote physical and mental well-being, such as exercise, meditation, or even just hobbies and relationships you enjoy. Prioritizing self care and breaks will make you more productive and focused. 

Hustle & Heart Challenge

This month, let’s reduce the time spent on 1-2 of these areas and allow yourself to redirect your energy towards things that will move your business and sales forward! Look at the list and think about which ones may have struck a nerve when reading – maybe that’s exactly where you’re ready to make a change.