How SMB Owners Can Be Productive From Anywhere

Their companies might be described as small or medium-sized, but the average SMB owner’s to-do list can loom pretty large.

Besides cultivating new customers or providing help to existing ones, the day in the life of running an SMB can also include a lot of managing, hiring and putting out various fires. Even when they feel productive, there are probably a lot of areas where they would love to devote more of their attention.

On the plus side, technology has made it possible for SMB owners to do some of their most important work from wherever they are. Not only can you check messages on your mobile devices — you can run your entire business on the go when you have the right cloud-based tools at your disposal.

Tools don’t solve everything, of course. You still have to figure out how to make the most of small windows of opportunity that wouldn’t have existed in the days when running an SMB meant being physically present in your office.

Use this post as a tip sheet for boosting productivity whenever those opportunities present themselves, and add to it with some that are uniquely your own:

Tip #1: Choose between learning, deciding or delegating

Maybe you’re sitting in the car at a parking lot between errands. You review email, voicemail or perhaps the dashboard of a more advanced cloud-based app. There’s no question you’ll get information, but what do you do with that information?

When there may be little time available to digest or analyze data, delegating to someone else on your team might make the most sense. If you have more than a few minutes, you might be productive just by taking the time to learn more about a problem that’s been festering in the company for a while. If you’re waiting in the parking lot for someone else to return from a store, you may have enough time to really think through and make a decision.

Each of these counts as being “productive,” but considering them in turn forces you to assess what’s most feasible based on where you’re at in your day.

Tip #2: Compile questions to focus your efforts

Even if you’re primarily working off of your smartphone while waiting at the airport, being “productive” can often risk becoming little more than the digital equivalent of pushing paper around on a desk. You’re answering messages and checking on metrics, but it may not feel like you’re accomplishing that much.

This is where the power of questions comes in handy. Make a list of ones that ladder back to some of your most important business goals and use your micro-moments to check in with whether you’re consistently answering them. Some possible questions could include:

• What are we learning about our customers based on the way they’re using our products and services that could make us improve?

• How well does the customer experience we intended play out in reality, based on what I’m seeing in the data?

• What actions have we taken based on what we’re seeing in the metrics today, and how have they led to a meaningful shift in the company’s performance?

Tip #3: Take notes like they are going to be reviewed by someone else

Whether you’re talking to a customer while commuting between the office and home or watching a webinar that could help solve a problem, you should be capturing everything that might be forgotten later. This is an obvious best practice among some of the most successful leaders in history.

If you’re a longtime notetaker, though, there’s often the risk of creating your own kind of shorthand — abbreviations or acronyms that will save you from writing in great detail. The problem is that sometimes you’ll look back on your notes and they won’t sense. What should have been a productive moment is immediately wasted.

Play this game inside your head: even if you’re an SMB owner, pretend you have a boss who needs to be briefed about what you’ve accomplished that day. Write your notes as though they will be looking them over in detail. You’ll not only take more comprehensive notes, but probably add details that only a third party would need to understand.

Tip #4: Use mindfulness to clear space for fresh insights

It may not sound very productive to sit in one place and focus on nothing other than your breathing, but the benefits for SMB owners can be significant.

Running your own company can often mean you’re deep “in the weeds” of various problems, which can make it hard to notice new opportunities or ideas that could boost growth.

If you’re skeptical, start with just being still for 60 seconds with or without your eyes closed, maybe while you’re sitting in a reception area before a meeting. You may find thoughts flowing through like mad, and that’s okay. Notice them, but don’t dwell on them. Just try to be present.

Open your eyes. Now dive back into your work. You might find yourself momentarily rejuvenated and more receptive to inspiration.

Tip #5: Recognize what acts of gratitude can accomplish

There will be occasions when it’s simply not clear how best you could use a few extra minutes while you’re outside the office. If so, turn back to two words: “Thank you.”

Take a moment to call an employee who demonstrated initiative or extra effort on a task. This will directly lead to a more engaged workforce.

Write an email thanking a customer for their recent business, as well as anything you’ve learned from your last encounter. No matter what business you run, you should be in the relationship business.

Even a quick “thank you” text to a supplier who met an urgent deadline or helped with a last-minute problem could go a long way to making sure you get similar attention the next time you’re in need.

Each of these five tips will not only ensure you’re being productive, but that you’ll actually produce something important, whether it’s a happier customer, a more loyal team member or — best of all — a more prosperous company.