How Many Hours Do You Work A Day?

Carl Taylor | April 4, 2017

As an entrepreneur, you got into business for a reason. The thing that drives you to get up in the morning. The change you’re trying to make in the world. The people you live to serve.

But it’s easy to get lost in the day-to-day tasks and forget about the bigger picture. Many of us get stuck in the cycle of working “in” our business, instead of working “on” our business.

Yes, the daily tasks that your business requires to function are important, but spending all your time there is a waste. You could do so much more!

I recently saw this comment on Facebook where Mark Zuckerberg took a stand for working less, so you can spend time on other valuable business activities. Yes, he says virtually all of his time is focused on Facebook, but not all this time is spent actually “working”.

zuckerberg how many hours do you work

Below we dive into this age-old problem that most entrepreneurs face, working endless hours without the results to show for it, and how you can break out of this once and for all.

You Need to Work Smarter, Not Harder

Our vision at Automation Agency is to help you think bigger and work smarter.

You see, the results you get in business aren’t tied to the amount of hours you spend working. You could work 100 hours a week, but get less done than someone who works 10.

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How? The person who works 100 hours is doing every little thing themselves, while the person who works 10 has built systems and a team behind them that accomplishes the work of 10 people.

That’s called LEVERAGE. And as a business owner, you could be standing in your own way by focusing too much on your daily business tasks and not leveraging the systems around you.

Look at it this way. You have the same amount of hours in the day as Richard Branson. So how does he manage to build up a billion-dollar business, while you’re sitting there spinning your wheels? One word: delegation.

Take this bit of advice from Branson himself, “When I try a new task and find it’s not my cup of tea, or I’m simply not cut out to do it, I delegate it to someone who is passionate about the work, knowing that person will do a great job.”

Why You Shouldn’t Do These Tasks, Even If You Can

Just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Sure, you could have the skills to build out new features on your site, design your logo, and even understand how to use automation software like Infusionsoft or ActiveCampaign.

But spending all of your time here isn’t moving your business forward. You’re bigger than those tasks. We’re not saying they aren’t important; they’re incredibly important. But the following tasks should be done by a staff member, or your friends here at Automation Agency.

1. Website Changes

Maybe you’re proficient at making website changes. So you spend hours a day tweaking the code of your site and troubleshooting issues that arise. Doing this can take a lot of time.

Sure, it needs to get done. But even though you have the skills, you’re not the one for the job. We all know how easy it is to get lost in technical tasks, and that’s why you should be outsourcing this job.

Make a list of what needs to be done and let a team handle it for you.

2. Graphic Design

Just because you can create covers, banners, and logos, doesn’t mean you should spend time here. When it comes to design, you can spend hours upon hours tweaking your design until it’s perfect.

Instead of spending your time in Photoshop or InDesign you can outsource these tasks to people who live and breathe design. You’ll end up with an improved design and save a lot of time along the way.

3. Marketing Automation

You shouldn’t be spending time on your own marketing. Blasphemous, right?

Now, I’m not saying not to market your business. Not at all. But instead, you should utilize the power of marketing automation to put your business marketing on autopilot.

When it comes to marketing automation, there are all kinds of software and best practices for you to follow. So make sure you don’t get sucked into this world. You can hire a team to help deploy and manage your marketing automation systems.

With the above tasks outsourced and taken care of, you can now spend your time on high-value activities that will move your business into the future.

Take this bit of advice from Tim Ferriss, “Never automate something that can be eliminated, and never delegate something that can be automated or streamlined. Otherwise, you waste someone else’s time instead of your own, which now wastes your hard-earned cash.”

Curious what these tasks are? Then keep reading.

What Tasks Should You Focus On Instead?

With all that time freed up, you’re now able to sit back and sip margaritas all day. Appealing, but not the best use of your time.

Below you’ll find five areas of your business you can focus on that’ll improve your bottom-line and long-term profitability.

1. Big-Picture Thinking

Where will your business be in one year? Five years? Ten years? Failing to plan is planning to fail. It might seem far off in the distance, but the future will be here sooner than you think.

Are there any emerging technologies you could capitalize by being an early adopter? Is there a way you can better serve your existing customers?

These are all questions that you need to ask. The more you can set aside time to see the overall workings of your business, you’ll begin to spot ways you can improve and new directions you can go.

2. Relationships With Partners

Are there any other businesses you’d like to partner with? Or maybe you have a few partners you’d like to show a little more gratitude towards?

In business, your relationships are everything. The bigger your network and higher-quality your relationships, the more bulletproof you’ll make your business.

Don’t let your business relationships wither because you’re too busy working on your business.

3. Future Products

Are there any new products you’ve been dying to release but haven’t had the time to work on?

Well, now you do.

Your company should be solving new problems in your space and extending the value you’re offering your clients and customers. This will help you become a go-to resource in your space, instead of just another name in the sea of competitors.

4. Optimizing Existing Systems

When you’ve automated and optimized certain business systems, like marketing, design, and website work, it’s worth taking a look at the different processes your business relies upon.

  • Could your email opt-in sequence be improved?
  • Is your website full of traffic holes that are costing you leads?
  • Do you have a process for gathering customer testimonials?
  • Does your content calendar need a little work?
  • Are there any guest-posting opportunities you’ve neglected?

Your business is made of systems. The more efficient these systems are, the better your business will work as a whole.

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5. Yourself

Remember, your business can only grow as much as you do. Setting aside time to reflect and learn more about your skills and talents can help you use these more in your work.

Set aside time to read books and take courses both inside and outside your space. You’ll be surprised at where new business ideas and connections come from.

Of course, the list of other activities to focus on could be a mile long. It all depends upon your business and the goals you’re trying to achieve.

When your business is your life, it’s rare that you’ll ever take a day off. Even when you’re out of the office, you’ll be thinking and maybe even dreaming about your business. But, when you free up your time, you’ll notice your thinking revolves more about the future of your business, and less about putting out the daily fires.

Let us help you get your time back. At Automation Agency we want to give you day-to-day support so you can focus on the things that matter. Check out our services today.

About the author 

Carl Taylor

Carl Taylor is the Founder & CEO of Automation Agency. For the past 10 years Carl has been building businesses and marketing them online through the use of Sales Funnels, Email Marketing Automation, Landing Pages, and Wordpress Websites. Carl is also a #1 author and highly sought after speaker and consultant whose work has impacted thousands of businesses across various industries worldwide.

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