As a small business owner, do you ever feel like there isn’t enough focused time in the day to get things done? Sounds like you might need some help managing your time. This is where productivity techniques can come in handy. There are many to choose from, and each has its own way of helping you stay focused when you need to.
Ready to transform your workday for the better? Read on below to discover all the productivity techniques that are tried and tested. Let’s get started!
Top Productivity Techniques for Small Business Owners to Maximise Efficiency
1. Eat the Frog
- Concept: Tackle the most challenging or important task first thing in the day
- Benefits: Reduces procrastination and ensures critical tasks are completed
- Practical tip: Identify your “frog” every morning. Ask yourself, what have I been putting off doing?
First coined by motivational speaker Brian Tracy, “Eat the Frog” means completing any tedious, challenging, or frustrating tasks (your frogs!) over the ones you would rather do instead. We all have tasks we put off daily but, for small business owners, this can become a bigger issue when important things like taxes, admin or larger projects are put on the back burner.
The goal is to do the hard things first and then you can focus on easier tasks, which can help with procrastination – something we all experience! Why not try to Eat the Frog for 5 days and see if you find your tasks go a little smoother?
2. The Pomodoro Technique
- Concept: Work for 25-minute focused intervals, followed by 5-minute breaks
- Benefits: Enhances focus, prevents burn-out, makes large tasks manageable
- Practical tip: Use timers or apps to track and manage your intervals?
This technique is perhaps the most well-known and popular of all productivity techniques on this list. Invented by Francesco Cirillo in the late 1980s, as a university student, while he was searching for ways to make better use of his time, the idea struck him while studying. Pomodoro – “tomato” in Italian - represents an effective way to boost focus when working.
For individuals with ADHD or those who struggle with concentrating on tasks for an extended period (especially the less exciting ones!), the Pomodoro technique can be an excellent method to keep you on track, helping you to not only work smarter but also feel better. Check out our full guide to the Pomodoro Technique here for practical tips.
3. The 80/20 Rule (Pareto Principle)
- Concept: Focus on the 20% of tasks that generate 80% of results
- Benefits: Helps prioritise high-impact tasks and reduces wasted efforts
- Practical tip: Regularly review your task list and identify top priorities
From the mind of Italian economist Vilfredo Pareto in 1896, this technique focuses on tasks that are high impact, as well as helping you identify your main drivers for whatever your goals are.
In a nutshell, list your daily activities or tasks and figure out which 20% yields the highest rewards for you. This could be admin related, research, or even starting a project to boost sales or growth.
4. Time Blocking
- Concept: Schedule specific blocks of time for different tasks or projects
- Benefits: Creates dedicated focus periods and helps reduce distractions
- Practical tip: Block out time on your calendar for critical activities and spread the word that you are in a focused timeslot
Not a new concept by any means, time blocking has been used throughout all human history since calendars first came around. Popularised by Cal Newport, the concept seeks to treat every hour of the workday like you would like a budget – there should be value in every block. This way of working can drastically improve output and your overall focus.
Although this productivity technique takes a little more time to set up, it could be really beneficial to you as a small business owner, helping you stay focused where the days can run away from you. If you’re easily side-tracked, time blocking could be the key to keeping things running smoothly.
5. Getting Things Done (Also known as GTD)
- Concept: Capture all tasks, clarify, organise, review, and do
- Benefits: Reduces mental clutter and ensures nothing is missed
- Practical tip: Use digital tools or notebooks to implement GTD
Invented by American productivity consultant and author David Allen, the GTD technique is a less intense than some of the others on this list, but just as effective. As a small business owner, it’s likely your email inbox is often cluttered, your desk covered in notes, and your mental capacity at its limit. By taking some time to sit down and lay out what needs to be done, and when, you can take back control of your tasks.
The five key stages (Capture, clarify, organise, review and do) aim to clear mental clutter and help you manage your tasks into bite-size, digestible steps.
Additional Productivity Techniques to Boost Focus
Still looking for the perfect technique that will work for you? Luckily, there are many productivity techniques out there so, in addition to the ones listed above, here are some more you can try out. Why not try combining techniques to make the most of your day so that you’re free to enjoy your evenings?
The Eisenhower Matrix
- Concept: Categorise tasks into urgent/not urgent and so on
- Benefits: Helps improve prioritisation and prevents crisis mode
- Practical tip: Review your task list weekly and categorise as needed
The Two-Minute Rule
- Concept: Complete any task that takes less than two minutes immediately
- Benefits: Prevents small tasks from piling up
- Practical tip: Incorporate into your daily routine
The Seinfeld Strategy (Don’t Break the Chain)
- Concept: Set a daily habit and mark each successful day on a calendar
- Benefits: Helps build consistency and momentum
- Practical tip: Choose habits that support your business goals and mental wellbeing
Parkinson’s Law
- Concept: Work expands to fill the time available
- Benefits: Encourages setting tight deadlines for efficiency
- Practical tip: Allocate limited time for tasks to boost focus
The Ivy Lee Method
- Concept: List six priorities for the next day and focus on completing them one by one
- Benefits: Improves daily focus and productivity
- Practical tip: Review and update your list every evening
Kanban Method
- Concept: Visualise work on boards (e.g., To Do, In Progress, Done)
- Benefits: Enhances workflow transparency and limits multitasking
- Practical tip: Use physical boards or digital tools like Trello
Ready to transform your workday?
These techniques can go a long way in making sure your day is as productive as possible as a small business owner. But don’t forget to take some time out for yourself during the day. Using the Pomodoro technique? Use your break to make a cup of tea. Utilising the benefits of Time Blocking? Why not block out an hour to go for a walk outside?
These techniques are designed to help you, so lean on them to focus on what matters – your time, creativity, and future as a founder.
Interested in how you can free up more of your time as a small business owner? Check out our article on time-saving tools for your business and make the most of your workday.