by 
Of all the resources companies regularly monitor and allocate, time is perhaps the most important. In the business world, saving time can also mean saving money, and time can often be the difference between a happy customer and an angry customer, or a successful launch and a failed one. This makes finding ways to save time a top priority for any entrepreneur.
To help their companies save time, members of the Council of Young Entrepreneurs have implemented some of their own productivity hacks. Below, each of them discusses the chosen strategy, as well as what other companies can do to take advantage of it.
1. Prioritize using the Eisenhower Matrix
We implement the Eisenhower matrix when managing projects or tasks, which has helped us significantly improve our productivity. It is a project management mechanism that has allowed us to prioritize our tasks by focusing on two important factors: importance and urgency. It is a fairly understandable model to implement in the company and does not require extensive training to educate the team. — Chris Klosowski, Easy Digital Download
2. Use project management tools to plan your week
We use a project management tool to break down repetitive and project-based tasks for each team member. We require each team member to plan their week ahead and check future assignments to make sure they have what they need to get done with a minimum of back and forth. This type of management reduces day-to-day communication and helps us meet deadlines. – Libby Rothschild, head of nutrition
3. Encourage time blocking
Time blocking is the most useful strategy to maximize productivity. To use this tactic, encourage your team to block continuous periods of time that are pre-scheduled for high-priority tasks, then make sure time is dedicated to working on those tasks. This creates blocks of meetings and blocks of free time so that everyone has a schedule with extended periods of uninterrupted time to focus. -Arian Radmand, IgnitePost
4. Use asynchronous video messaging
“Loom, not Zoom” is our team’s slogan! This means we use asynchronous video messaging for anything that doesn’t involve real-time discussion. This eliminates unnecessary meetings, improves efficiency, allows for flexible schedules, and most importantly, over time, this approach has built us a library of videos that are now used for training and support that continues to save us time. – Devesh Dwivedi, Devesh Dwivedi
5. Make sure everyone takes regular breaks
Sometimes you can concentrate so much on work that you reach the point of exhaustion, which can affect your work performance. Scheduling micro-moments to take a break from the daily grind and unwind can help you relax and get back to your tasks. Other companies may encourage employees to take breaks, especially when faced with tight deadlines, to improve productivity rather than suffer from burnout. – Brian David Crane, Spread great ideas
6. Automate repetitive tasks
Automating repetitive tasks has saved our team countless hours. We use many tools to relieve people from performing repetitive tasks. Things like social media posting, emailing, campaign management, and even some aspects of content creation are exhausting and daunting, but also absolutely necessary. We outsourced them to technology and it’s the best decision we’ve ever made. – Solomon Timothy, OneIMS
7. Empower your teams with project autonomy
The productivity hack that worked for us is that we enabled our teams to design workflows and take full ownership of the projects. Of course, we’ve made our vision clear, but it’s up to the teams to develop the roadmap and strategies to reach the milestones set. This has saved a lot of time as there are fewer strategic and follow-up meetings. – Stephanie Wells, Formidable Forms
8. Set clear goals and paths
You can significantly improve company-level productivity by setting clear goals and pathways. Some employees work well on their own, but others need structure to be most productive. Instead of saying, “I want us to have 10,000 Twitter followers,” explain how the team is to accomplish this task. Setting clear paths for your team will save time and crush self-doubt. — Chris Christoff, MonsterInsights
9. Set “Rocks” every week
We are currently trying out a policy of setting “stones” or personal goals for projects and tasks on a weekly basis. We then schedule a weekly meeting to discuss these rocks and whether they are viable within the agreed timeframe. It saves time when new clients sign up or we have potential opportunities that require time investments. Businesses can do the same with weekly meetings and goals. – Duran Inci, Optimum7
