{"id":9586,"date":"2023-04-18T10:35:24","date_gmt":"2023-04-18T14:35:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/?p=9586"},"modified":"2026-01-15T11:34:26","modified_gmt":"2026-01-15T16:34:26","slug":"reduce-admin-work-boost-productivity","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sage.com\/en-ca\/blog\/reduce-admin-work-boost-productivity\/","title":{"rendered":"How to cut down busy work to meet your small business goals"},"content":{"rendered":"
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\tGrowth & Customers<\/a>\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t
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\n\t\t\t\t\t\tHow to cut down busy work to meet your small business goals\t\t\t\t\t<\/h1>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n\t

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\n\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\"\"\t\t\t\tRichard Stolz<\/span>\n\t\t\t<\/a>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n\n\n

Does this sound like you?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Your business started off as a passion project, but now you\u2019re drowning in admin work.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

During a typical hectic day running your small business, you might confuse \u201cbusy\u201d with \u201cproductive.\u201d Yet being productive on critical tasks is crucial to your success.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Unless you\u2019re working around the clock, you need to reduce your admin duties. The problem is, you might not even be aware of how much time you are spending doing things that either can be delegated (even in a very small business), or made simpler and faster with new technology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To motivate yourself to get a handle on the problem, think about what your life would be if you cut down the number of hours you put in every day, and find the time you spend at work much for rewarding. A lot better, right?<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The first step toward that happier state is to list the most important goals you need to accomplish, and the key tasks you need to perform to get you there.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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Cover every base with winning insights and financial solutions<\/h2>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
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Learn more about our\u00a0MLB\u2122<\/strong>\u00a0partnership and how Hall of Famer Cal Ripken Jr. set his Out of Office for\u00a0MLB Opening Day<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tLearn more<\/a>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\n\t\t\t\t\t\"people\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/div>\n\n\n\n

Reduce your administrative duties<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

With goals like growing or diversifying your business, increasing your profitability, and bringing exceptional talent on board, you\u2019ll need to reduce your admin to the bare minimum, if not entirely.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you think you\u2019ve already done so, or aren\u2019t sure where all the time goes, give yourself a worktime task audit. It\u2019s easy by using a time tracker app. There are plenty on the market, including some that are free. You need to cover a long enough time period to give you a reliable snapshot, say a week or two.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

To get started, first think about what you spend your time on over a representative time period, categorize the main tasks, and divide them into two groups: administrative and mission-critical.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Mission-critical tasks vs. administrative<\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Mission-critical tasks include:<\/p>\n\n\n\n