| MAGAZINE | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| MARKETPLACE | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| COMMUNITY | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
| RESOURCES | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
 |
Amanda's top ten: Maximize Your Time |
| Written by Amanda Ryder | |
|
We all know there’s never enough time in a day. This is especially true in the floral industry, where often you can’t predict what the next day will bring. You need to be able to prioritize and adjust these priorities as last-minute orders come in and problems arise. Here are some tips to help stop the clock in your shop: 1. Plan ahead – At the start of each week, make note of all of the tasks that need to be completed. Give each task a deadline and prioritize. Refer to your schedule each morning to see what needs to be done that day. 2. Evaluate the waste – Look hard at your business practices to pinpoint where you could be saving time. Use a notebook to track your daily activities and the amount of time you spend on each task. 3. Empower your employees – As a manager, much of your time can be spent answering tedious questions posed by staff: “How much is this priced?” or “Where do we keep this?” Train your staff to become more independent. Trust that they can make their own decisions without always running them by you. 4. Create a clutter-free space – Make things easier to find by keeping filing cabinets, drawers, desks and tables free of clutter. You’ll spend less time searching for things. 5. Discover when you’re most productive – Find out when you’re at peak performance and schedule your most important tasks during this time period. Let your employees know not to interrupt you unless it’s important. 6. Schedule in e-mails and callbacks – Don’t answer e-mails or make your call-backs throughout the day (unless it’s important!) as this will only cause frequent interruptions for you. Pick a daily timeslot for this activity and stick to it. 7. Delegate, delegate, delegate – Assign your employees tasks that they are capable of doing. Let go of the fear that “they can’t do it as well as I can” or “it will take more time for me to explain how to do it than if I just did it.” 8. Don’t procrastinate – Pushing aside tasks will only stress you out. You’ll worry about the fact that you are procrastinating and, in effect, delay an activity that must be done anyway. 9. Ask your employees for their opinion – Check to see if they have any ideas that could make a task quicker and more efficient. Saving their time saves you money and gets more accomplished. 10. Set realistic expectations – You won’t always achieve your goal and get everything done. If you’ve prioritized correctly, then you’ve completed the most important tasks. There’s always tomorrow. Amanda Ryder is the editor of Canadian Florist and may be contacted at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it |
