Driving Productivity in Your Virtual Office with Time Management

Productivity is key for any business, and working in a virtual office you are likely time management-minded to begin with—you understand all the time-saving benefits virtual offices provide—but there’s always room for improvement.

I always keep this mantra in mind: You can make more money, but you can’t make more time. The good news is you can be more productive with the time you have. Here are my best tips for driving more profits through greater productivity.

1. Always use a calendar. 

I use a Franklin paper calendar on my desk, but I also use Google Calendar so I can keep track of the big picture when I am not in the office. And I use Visibook.com to allow people to schedule appointments with me, which cuts out the back-and-forthing on setting a time that works for everyone. There is no lack of calendaring tools, from giant wall calendars (yes, I have one of those, too) to mobile apps. Get a calendaring system that works for your needs today—and start using it.

2. Use a time tracking tool.

If you are billing customers hourly, use a time-tracking tool that will help you demonstrate the value you are providing to clients—and justify your hourly rate. Time tracking tools also help you determine if you are charging too little for your time. Remember, your time is valuable. You can’t get it back. You can use platforms like Toggle, Harvest, Tick or Hours to help you micromanage your time.

3. Remove distractions with RescueTime.

I love this. RescueTime gives you detailed reports on the websites you visit most. If you are spending more time on Facebook than client sites, researching and other site that drive revenue for your business, this tool will serve as a wake-up call to refocus.

4. Leverage time assignment technologies.

Apps like 30/30 let you set up a running task list and determine how much time you will spend on each task. This creates a sense of urgency by giving you deadlines to shoot for.

5. Cut the group emails with Slack.

Slack is a web platform for that empowers real-time messaging for teams. You can create private rooms or share files, store data, set up sales goals and more. No one will ever have the excuse, “Gmail ate your message” again.

6. Consider a Virtual Receptionist

Day to day phone calls can be taxing, especially if you're coming in and out of meetings and trying to keep up with you're busy schedule. A great and cost-effective solution is to hire a Davinci Virtual Live Recpetionist. This service allows a team of trained professionals to filter and route calls to your own preference, so you can get back to other demands that your business may have on you outside of a ringing phone. 

Of course, all of this is most effective if you start every day with a plan that prioritizes the day’s activities. Set daily goals for your time. Time that’s not earmarked for activities is time that is potentially wasted.

Victor Hugo, a poet, novelist and dramatist, once said, “He who every morning plans the transactions of that day and follows that plan carries a thread that will guide him through the labyrinth of the busiest life.”

About Jennifer LeClaire

Jennifer LeClaire is a veteran business journalist, editor and new media entrepreneur with a strong niche in real estate and technology.