5 Surprising Ways That Businesses Can Save Time

As the old saying goes, time is money. For some businesses, time is the only product they have to sell, or at least, the service they provide within that time. This is why it’s so essential that businesses constantly find new ways to save time. We’re all familiar with some of the more traditional methods, but what are some surprising time-saving techniques technological advancements and ingenuity have given us?

Travel Assistance to Save Time

Traveling for work — be it a meeting, business trip, or order delivery. It can take up a huge chunk of company time. A streamlined, modern business needs to find ways to cut down the time spent traveling.

One of the best investments a small business can make to streamline this issue is investing in fuel cards. Every company has drivers at some point. Fuel cards save you money while drivers are on the road through unique fuel deals and simplifying the process of paying at the pump. It eliminates hours of admin time spent sifting through piles of receipts and chasing up expenses claims, putting all payments into one account. There are a number of fuel cards for small businesses available here. You can find the perfect one for your vehicle type and frequency of travel.

Small businesses should also explore similar benefits for flying or public transport, such as transport cards useable on busses, trams, and underground services when staff members have to attend multiple meetings with clients or partners across the city.

Track Employee Time

Wait, spending more time looking at how much time people are spending on tasks helps you save time?

If you’re confused, don’t worry. There’s no need to be. Tracking how much time your team spends on their work is a great way to ensure you’re keeping productivity levels high.

We’re not saying you need to start installing cameras at their desk though. Time tracking tools give a much clearer view of the productivity levels of your business without making people feel watched.

The data these tools gather help determine what parts of your business are unprofitable and can be improved upon. You can refine your processes and give yourself extra time to explore new projects and grow the business.

This is an essential step for any business operating with clients or on a tight budget to take. There are numerous time tracking tools available, each with its own quirks and specialties.

Outsource Specialist Work

Sometimes the best way to save time on a project is to not do it at all. Now, we’re not telling a small company to turn down the business they need, but instead, know when to pass it onto a freelancer or outsource it.

Outsourcing has become a common practice in many small to medium-sized companies looking to save money on staff while still being able to take on more expansive work. It gives employers time to focus their attention on major projects, assured that crucial work is happening in the background. This is particularly good practice for specialist and creative skills. Outsourcing saves you the time you would spend recruiting and training up a new team member.

There’s a wide network of talented and hungry freelancers out there looking for work. Rather than staying late doing the work of two people to get your projects up to date, free up some time with a specialist freelancer.

Streamline Social Media

Social media management is time-consuming especially if you’re not used to it. You know it’s important to do though, and are already seeing the benefits of an engaged online audience. But how do you get around the hours spent jumping between accounts and scheduling post after post?

Social management programs have been around for years, but some companies still aren’t using them to their full advantage. Integrating with all mainstream social media platforms, they allow social media professionals to schedule posts across all their unique social channels in one session, cutting out login times and re-posting the same content over and over.

Setting up a social management program is well worth the time and investment required. The more time you have, the more creative output you will see.

Harness Cloud Sharing

How much of your work is spent frantically searching for files? Are you going through folders that someone saw the other day? Are you having to receive files by email, watching the minutes tick by as it loads into your inbox? It’s time for your business to save itself with cloud sharing.

Cloud sharing saves you time by giving everyone instant access to company files from their own machine. This eliminates the need for most physical paperwork and limits the amount of time you have to get up from your desk. Through this technology, you can access and collaborate on files anyone has access to, you don’t even need to be in the same room as them. It’s the best way for a company to save on the time between projects, admin, and menial tasks, bringing your business into the modern-day.

Time is not something you can afford to lose track of when you’re running a business. Everything is about time, and making sure you’re getting the most out of it is essential. These are just a few of our favorite suggestions — which ones have worked for your business in the past?