Episode 210: How I Work Smarter (Not Harder) in my Design Biz

Are you getting caught up in tasks that aren’t moving your business forward? Maybe you’re not even aware that you’re doing it! After nearly a decade as a business owner, I’ve found a few ways that have allowed me to work smarter, not harder in my business! Listen in as I share how tracking your time, creating workflows, and utilizing automations in your business will help you do just that. Now, if you’re dreaming of consistent monthly income without adding more to your already overflowing plate, fellow designer, then this free training is for you! Working Smarter Not Harder in Your Business As a designer who has worked on creating a streamlined business for nearly a decade, I’ve spent time and energy investing into ways that will help be work smarter in business. While I went into this with an open mind, I’ve found three very beneficial ways to work smarter, not harder that I believe every business owner should use. Tracking Your Time The first place you should start when streamlining your business is to know where you’re spending your time. Even after years of doing it, I still find so much value in tracking my time. It allows me to see how much of my time is revenue generating, how much time I spend marketing, how much time I’m working with students and clients, and so much more! I simply use a tool, like Toggl, to track what I do in my business every single day, then I recommend reviewing on a quarterly or monthly basis. This will allow you to know where you need to optimize, adjust, and streamline your work. From there, I look at what workflows and automations I can create. Following Workflows for Everything In my design business, I have workflows for everything. From the different types of client services I offer to consult calls to onboarding. I’ve created a workflow for everything, but it hasn’t always been that way. In the beginning, I was recreating the wheel each time I booked a new client. THis was creating more work on me than neccessary, so I streamlined it with a workflow for every single service. You can do this by creating Standard Operating Procedures and Tutorials for team members with tools like loom. By doing this, you’re not having to think through what you’ll do next, but rather following a guide to best serve your clients. Automations The next optimization I use is automations. I’m able to free up more energy and mental space for me to show up as my best self for my clients. Automations can feel a little scary and hands-off, but when set up correctly, you free up that mental space to better serve. You can automate so many things in your client management tool, like proposals, invoices, and even email communication! While you’re building out your workflows with your clients, consider what items in those workflows can be automated to take a little more work off your plate. If you’re dreaming of consistent monthly income without adding more to your already overflowing plate, fellow designer, then this free training is for you! Enroll in Brand Strategy School If you’ve enjoyed this approach to working smarter, not harder in your business, then you’ll truly enjoy my Brand Strategy School.