The reality for many women in business is that a small idea turns into a bigger business over time – and much of that time might be spent managing the balance between home life and professional life, working from a home office until better opportunities emerge.

Sound familiar? Try these clever hacks to help your business bloom.

1. Fill paperwork straight away, don’t leave it on the kitchen table.
2. Write down your tasks to achieve the night before – and actually achieve them.
3. Write down your monthly business goals and put them on display somewhere you see every day.
4. Back up your computer regularly – IT issues can destroy your business and they can be so easily avoided with a relatively small investment of time and equipment.
5. Tidy up your computer files. Delete and organise to help you stay focused and not waste time looking for files that are buried under digital piles of less important information.
6. De-clutter your office. The easier things are to find, the more time you’ll save – and time does mean money.
7. Throw out pens that don’t work. A small thing but it can ease your frustration when you really need one that works during an important phone call or skype meeting.
8. Take a photo of all business receipts as soon as you buy something – then email them to yourself and store them in a file named Receipts and the month/year.
9. Send the same type of email regularly? Create standard email templates.
10. Invest in a quality diary. Yes, online calendars are useful but having a diary you can touch and open is still a handy thing. Not convinced? Then explore the best apps to use as a digital alternative.
11. Limit your social media exposure to set times throughout your working day. Sure, FB might be an integral part of your business marketing but it’s too easy to get distracted by the news feed when you could be really working.
12. Hire a virtual assistant. Why do all the little tasks an assistant could do better?  With more free time up your sleeve, you can focus on other business-building work.
13. Hire a bookkeeper. Even if you only use their services once a month, having a bookkeeper to reconcile your payments, or send invoices, can save you hours of time – and help you streamline the handover to your accountant at tax time.

So, now you have all that extra time…how are you going to spend it?

By having clear business-building goals and a business plan, your time can be used efficiently – and effectively – to generate fresh ideas and attract more clients. Here’s to better business!