Task Time Management Basics You Need To Know

Running your own small freelance business typically means you have more freedom and flexibility regarding what tasks you devote your time to (as opposed to a regular 9-to-5 salaried role where your tasks are typically assigned to you). 

However, if you focus on the ‘least efficient’ tasks in your small business, it can be easy to get bogged down in time-consuming and energy-depleting ones that don’t directly add to the bottom line.

This is where good time and task management skills come to the fore – in addition to knowing what tasks to best outsource or automate. Good time management helps you stay organized and productive so you can focus on priority tasks that make a positive impact on your business, and helps you get things done without the overwhelm.

But before getting into the more detailed minutiae and exploring the raft of time-management strategies, processes and tools available (such as time blocking, checking your email at certain times of the day, themed days, etc., many of which we mention in our blog post here), there are some other basics to take into account.

1. Know what needs to be done and when

Knowing exactly what needs to be done to keep your business functioning and compliant, and when, is a vital starting point for any time management strategy. It is a bedrock from which everything else stems. While it sounds obvious to plan ahead, regularly reviewing your plans while business is buoyant can sometimes take a backseat, which can lead to roadblocks, delays and cash flow issues. So don’t skip this.

There are plenty of online tools that can help with time management and productivity. But don’t dismiss the power of a simple wall planner or paper calendar to help you visualize what needs to be done on a weekly, monthly, quarterly and annual basis.

These operational tasks can include anything from paying vendor bills, rent, making sure taxes are paid on time, to subscriptions, etc. – things that keep the lights on in your business. Also factor in activities and events outside your business such as public holidays, family chores, vacations, etc. Anything that impacts your available time (and focus).

Getting these basics right first will help you maintain a sustainable and well-organized business.

2. Know what needs to happen for clients

As well as knowing what needs to be done for your business to operate, you also need to know what needs to happen for each of your client workflow/processes. And plan (or automate) accordingly. 

For example, what needs to happen when a client first contacts you, clicks a button on your website, requests a quote, or before you send out client invoices? Do you need to review invoices first, or can you automate them by sending recurring invoices to retainer clients?

Recurring invoices are a great way to automate billing and save time, but sometimes you don’t want invoices sent to clients automatically. With Invoice Ninja, you can have the best of both worlds. 

You can automatically generate recurring invoices on a schedule while keeping them in draft status until you’ve had a chance to review and approve them. 

For example, you might charge a fixed monthly fee for services, but occasionally you need to add extra charges for additional work or products you provide during the month. Rather than creating an independent invoice from scratch, you can set up a recurring invoice in Invoice Ninja and add a placeholder for any additional services.

Watch our short video here to find out more. 

In short, plot out the ‘what needs to happen next’ for all your client processes and plug any gaps. This will save you time and money (as well as peace of mind) in both the long and short term, and help your business run smoothly. Furthermore, clients will benefit from your slick processes.

3. Know how long tasks take

A key part of time management strategy is knowing how much time a task takes. For new tasks, it’s likely you won’t know, so that’s why you should track all the time spent so you’ll know for the future. Typically, the more times you perform a task, the quicker it will get as you get used to doing it. Also, as your business evolves, more time-saving tools and processes inevitably come on the market. 

You’ll also want to add a buffer in the time allowed for any unexpected events. You’ll soon know what tasks you are best at, which ones take up too much of your time and energy, and what repetitive tasks can be best automated or outsourced.

With Invoice Ninja, you can track time spent on billable work. Our task time-tracking feature allows you to accurately record every second spent on each individual task and quickly transfer timed data to the relevant invoice. When you’re done with a task or series of tasks within a project, simply click and send your work time to an invoice with 1-click!

No manual entry needed!

But that’s not all – you can integrate your Google/Microsoft calendar directly into Invoice Ninja, so you can start logging time from your calendar events.

You can also easily integrate directly with project management tools Jira, Basecamp, Asana, Linear and Gmail.

Try Invoice Ninja for free today.

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These three task time management basics will set you on the right track to keep you organized, productive and profitable as a freelancer.