By Henry Brown

Running a business is tough work, but some people make it tougher than it really needs to be. That’s because they allow themselves to take on too much work and get stressed out over it all as a result. No matter what anyone else tells you about running a business and being successful, that’s simply not necessary. You can do so much to reduce your workload if you approach the task of running your business in a way that reduces your workload…and your stress. Read on to find out more about how you can reduce your workload in simple ways.

Outsource certain tasks

Outsourcing is something that many businesses are now very keen to make the most of, and it’s not hard to see why. When you outsource tasks to external companies and contractors, you can focus on other things that only you can take care of. There are some tasks, such as phone services, IT services or admin, that work really well when outsourced. These are the necessary tasks that no one likes to do, so getting someone else to do them makes a lot of sense.

[amazon_link asins=’0985056436′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingi0d-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’45eb9538-e361-11e8-a7c2-4738599b2ee6′]Limit your time

Limiting your time means only spending a designated amount of time on each task you need to complete. You will make it so much easier for you to complete tasks and not waste all of your time during the day on one thing. You will know when you need to get things done by and when you need to move onto the next task on your list of things to do during the day. So try to limit the time you spend doing things in the office. It will also help you to cut out procrastinating.

Approach one task at a tome and don’t multitask

Multitasking is one of those things that can do you a lot of damage and really harm your working habits if you’re not careful. You will end up juggling tasks and completing them all to a lower standard without necessarily saving any time at all. And even if you do save a little time, will it be worth it? Several studies have shown that multi-tasking is not effective, so by methodically taking on one task at a time, you will save time in the long-term.

Use a registered agent service

This is one thing that will make your life a little easier when you’re running a business that’s incorporated or operating as an LLC (limited liability company) because the agent service you choose will carry out some of the work that you would otherwise need to do yourself. It’s another way of taking some of the work off your desk and putting it onto someone else’s. This guide called do I need a registered agent? will help you make your decision regarding whether this way forward is the right one for your business. If you’re not running an incorporated company or LLC, this won’t be necessary though.

[amazon_link asins=’0143126563′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingi0d-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’4fcd5638-e361-11e8-a8a4-5b8cda89783a’]Expand at a reasonable rate

Expanding your business is an important part of taking work off your shoulders, as strange as that might sound. You will be able to expand and hire more people as you make more money, and that’s important when you want to stop doing so much of the work of running your business by yourself. So don’t be afraid of expanding because it won’t necessarily mean that you have to do more work; it could mean that you’ll do less of it in the end.

Don’t insist upon perfection

Being a perfectionist is admirable in a sense, but it when it comes to reducing your workload, it’s not wise at all. If you always insist on being the best and achieving the very best in everything you do, you will spend a lot of your time doing work that probably won’t have much impact on the success of your business. Sometimes, you just need to complete tasks and move onto the next ones.

Hire a personal assistant to monitor and filter communications

If you don’t have a personal assistant, it’s about time you started looking for one. When you have an assistant who can help you out each day in the office, you will have someone who can filter your communications and monitor things for you. It’s one less thing for you to worry about and that’s got to be a good thing. You can focus on the things that matter and communications that aren’t important won’t even make their way to you. Check out the option of hiring a virtual assistant, which can be a very affordable option.

Delegate better

When you care about your business a lot, you can be tempted to take on every task by yourself. They say when you want a job done properly, you should do it yourself. That’s all well and good, but you will burn out if you try to take on too much work by yourself. And you should think about how delegating to other people will help you to do less and still achieve more.

[amazon_link asins=’1451639619′ template=’ProductAd’ store=’succeedingi0d-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’56a840fa-e361-11e8-b5ea-bd94eb67b729′]Automate repetitive tasks

If there are repetitive tasks that you will need to do again and again to keep your business running smoothly, you should try to automate as many of these as you can. Automation is a big deal now and that’s something that’s only going to increase in the years ahead. It means you don’t have to deal with those repetitive tasks yourself.

If you want to run a successful business, you’re going to have to put in the work. That’s the way it’s always been and it probably always will be that way too. However, you don’t need to push yourself to your limits every day. And as these ideas show, there are plenty of ways to reduce your workload too.

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Henry Brown is an online marketing executive. When he isn’t talking shop, he’s roaming the streets of London, uncovering the extra-ordinary in the ordinary.