How To: Make The Most Of Your Working Day
Time management is a business owner’s kryptonite. When you’ve got sales, stock and staff to handle, it’s understandable that sometimes PR gets put on the back burner. We often get asked how on earth we manage multiple tasks each day, and the truth is that we don’t always get it right. That said, we’ve gathered some top tips to help you make the most of your 9 to 5 (and of course, your PR subscription)...
Eat your frog (no, not really!)
Mark Twain once said that if you “eat a live frog first thing in the morning [then] nothing worse will happen to you the rest of the day”. I know, I know – why are we talking about frogs? But he had a point. Getting your most laborious tasks (or ‘frogs’) out of the way at the start of the day means that you’re not spending the next 8 hours doing anything and everything to put them off. Use your early morning energy on your timesheets and taxes and spend the rest of the day doing something you actually enjoy.
When in doubt, list it out
Is there anything more satisfying than ticking off a to do list? It doesn’t matter if you do yours daily, weekly, monthly or even all three, but a to do list is a tangible reminder of the things you have coming up. Breaking down your daily tasks as much as possible means that your mammoth day ahead is that bit more digestible. Be sure to add a lunch break on there – giving your brain a break is just as important as everything else.
Tidy inbox, tidy mind
There’s no better way to start the day than with an empty inbox. Making sure not to leave any emails pending at the end of the day is the best way to go about this – it’s only a minor change to your work routine, but it might just help you to sleep a little lighter. Additionally, if your job doesn’t require being hot on your emails all day, setting beside 15 minute chunks to send out some replies means that you’re not being constantly distracted by your rapidly expanding inbox.
Don’t be a technophobe
Technology can become a deterrent to getting work done, but there are tools and apps on the market that can actually boost your productivity. We love Onlypult and Tweetdeck for social scheduling, StayFocusd for blocking distracting websites for a set time each day (Facebook, we’re looking at you..) and Dashlane for password storing so you don’t spend 20 minutes each day trying to log in to your emails.
A little help from your friends
It’s unrealistic to expect that you can be all things to all people – you’re only human after all! Hiring a freelancer or intern to help you with day-to-day tasks means that you can focus your attention on the things that matter.
In terms of PR, hiring a freelancer is great as it helps to have one stable press contact that editors can rely on. PR with a traditional agency would cost upwards of £3000/pm so even hiring a one day a week PR and social media assistant will be saving you thousands (in pounds and minutes!) each month. Try different avenues and find what works best for you. Remember, the more time that’s put in, the better results you will see.
Ready to take your brand to the next level? The awareness and credibility from PR is one very important part of building a brand. Join hundreds of independent brands who are not only pitching their products to press but have access to our support, knowledge and recommended suppliers every step of the way through our memberships. Find out more here.