As the owner of a construction company, you wear many hats. You’re responsible for bidding on projects, managing your crew, keeping an eye on the bottom line, and ensuring the job gets done correctly and on time. It’s a lot of work that can often feel like it’s never done. According to the National Association of Home Builders, the average construction company owner works 60 hours per week, leaving little time for anything else.
But it doesn’t have to be that way. With a few simple tweaks to how you run your business, you can spend less time working and more time enjoying your life outside work. Here are a few tips to get you started.
Prioritize Your Time
One of the most effective ways to spend less time working is to prioritize your time and delegate tasks accordingly. Make a list of all the tasks you need to accomplish in a day, week, or month, and then figure out which ones are the most important/urgent. Delegate the less essential tasks to your employees or subcontractors, and focus on the tasks that will impact your business most.
You want to prioritize your time in a way that will help you achieve your long-term business goals. For example, if your goal is to grow your company, you might prioritize marketing and sales over administrative tasks. Or, if your goal is to improve profitability, you might prioritize project management tasks over customer service tasks.
There’s no right or wrong way to prioritize your time, but it’s crucial to consider what’s most important to your business and what will help you achieve your goals. Not only will this help you get more done in less time, but it will also free up your schedule so you can take some much-needed personal time for yourself.
Outsource When Possible
There’s no shame in admitting that you can’t do everything yourself—and there’s no reason to try! If specific tasks or aspects of your business are taking up too much of your time, outsource them to someone who specializes in those areas. For instance, if marketing isn’t your strong suit, hire a marketing consultant or agency to create and implement a marketing plan for you.
Some companies offer virtual administrative assistance for construction businesses. They can handle bookkeeping, customer service, appointment scheduling, and more. This can be a great way to free up your time so you can focus on the tasks only you can do, like running the job site or meeting with clients. If you’re unsure where to start, ask other construction company owners for recommendations or search for service providers online.
Streamline Your Processes
Another way to free up some time is to streamline your processes. Take a look at how you’re currently doing things and see if there’s anything you can change or automate to make things more efficient. For example, if you’re still using paper timesheets, switch to an electronic system that will allow you to track employee hours with the click of a button.
Or, if you’re manually creating invoices for each job, invest in accounting software that can generate invoices for you automatically. Small changes like these can save you hours of work each week. You might even be able to eliminate some tasks entirely.
The more efficient your business processes are, the less time you’ll spend working on them. And that means you’ll have more time to focus on what you enjoy outside work. Always look for ways to streamline your processes and make your business run more smoothly.
Take Regular Breaks
It might seem counterintuitive, but taking regular breaks can help you get more done in less time. Working non-stop for hours on end is not only exhausting, but it’s also not very productive. Your brain needs time to rest and recharge, so taking a break every few hours can actually help you be more productive when you’re working.
Use your break time to step away from your desk, take a walk, or just take a few minutes to yourself. It doesn’t have to be a long break, but it should be long enough for you to clear your head and come back refreshed and ready to work.
If you find it difficult to take a break when there’s so much work to be done, set a timer for yourself and commit to taking a break when it goes off. Once you get into the habit of taking regular breaks, you’ll be surprised at how much more productive you are.
Running a construction business is a lot of work, but it doesn’t have to be all-consuming. By prioritizing your time, streamlining your processes, and outsourcing when possible, you can spend less time working and more time enjoying your life outside of work. Try implementing these tips into your business today and see how much easier (and enjoyable) running a business can be!
