For contractors and subcontractors, time management is crucial. When you have multiple clients and priorities to manage at once, time becomes an issue, especially because each project has its own deadline that must be met to earn client satisfaction. So here are five easy tips to help you get into the habit of good time management.
1. Batch tasks for efficiency. If you have multiple projects going at once, and some of those require similar supplies and/or expenses, group them together. Making separate trips for supplies or calling the same person three times in one day wastes time and money, and productivity will be lost.
2. Set firm deadlines. This means limiting the time spent on each task. When you allow wiggle room in deadlines, tasks end up running over into the time you would have spent on other tasks, again wasting your time and, ultimately, money.
3. Schedule time slots for certain tasks. If you need to make multiple calls in one day, set aside an hour or two to make all necessary calls in one sitting, to streamline your day. Do the same for meetings or appointments, if it’s feasible. Lining up meetings back-to-back will help ensure each one doesn’t bleed over into the next.
4. Create to-do lists to stay organized. Listing tasks by order of importance is a simple but efficient way of organizing priorities and ensuring you aren’t forgetting to complete tasks. Time sensitive tasks should always be near the top of the list, while pushing tasks with no/flexible deadlines to the bottom of your to-do list.
5. Don’t be afraid to delegate. No contractor is super-human, and you can’t always complete every task. Delegation shows trust in your team, and can help your employees learn and work on new skills. This ultimately makes you and your team more efficient, allowing you to meet deadlines and increase reliability for your clients.
