Running a business is no easy task. It requires a lot of energy, investment – and of course, time.

Small business owners know all too well the true power of time; how it can be both an asset as well as a liability. You could quite literally lose your business, and then regain it within the span of minutes!

For something so unpredictable yet necessary, it is vital you use your time wisely. A business, no matter how small or large, requires acute distribution and utilisation of time if you want to take it to the next level.

Here are 4 ways you can manage your time as efficiently as possible:

1) Plan, Organise, and Prioritise

Plan your day beforehand – we’re telling you, it does wonders. As a business owner, you have to meet deadlines, attend meetings, overlook work functions and then work some more. That’s why planning your entire day beforehand lets you tackle your duties one at a time, instead of storming through and creating a mess.

Organise all the things you need, whether they’re passwords, report files, or the like. People often overlook this, and lose time right at the outset of a task. Why? Because their disorganised setup causes their minds to be disoriented as well.

Prioritise your workload – what things can you do yourself, and what jobs you’d rather have someone else do in your place? For example, instead of you going through all the invoices, you’d much rather have an accountant handle that for you. This way, you can neutralise the workload off your shoulders, and distribute it more evenly.

2) Identify what wastes your time

Be self-reflective throughout the day. Notice your break times, and realise where do you start consuming time uselessly, and why. Do you scroll through social media feeds excessively, play video games, or do you get distracted by wanting to text a friend? Pick these menaces out and remove them from your work functions, so that more time is saved.

3) Delegate > Abdicate

For small and large businesses, you as an owner have to almost always rely on other people. Make sure you don’t fall into the habit of “abdicating” as a last resort – i.e. assigning random duties to people who are not trained enough to handle it. Go for “delegating”; you can either assign pre-designed duties to newly hired trained people, or train current employees with advanced training programs.The best way to decide whether a duty has to be delegated is by applying the 80/20 method: if others can do a task at least 80% as well as you, then you’re allowed to delegate the task.

4) Streamline tasks further with a modern POS system

This is perhaps the best shortcut: turn workload you’d normally spend hours over completely automatic. POS software in Pakistan like Oscar have integrated systems built to automate time-consuming business operations for your benefit, and your company’s profitability. With just one cloud-based POS platform, you can easily manage your inventory, employees, sales, marketing, and more – all with just a few taps on the screen.

Time is considered precious because it is one of those few things we cannot control. For an entrepreneur, saving and using time wisely becomes a lifetime struggle.

Lucky for you, we have made the journey a lot smoother for you.