How to increase productivity as a self-employed person

Being self-employed can be rewarding. You have freedom, flexibility to work when and where you like and you earn your money for yourself. However, it has its challenges. Not only are you juggling different aspects of your business, but you’re also trying to avoid the constant distractions of the modern world. 

In this guide, we will cover how you can increase your productivity while self-employed by looking at the following topics:

• Creating a dedicated space
• Setting your schedule
• Using software tools
• Taking regular breaks
• Making your office more ergonomic
• Exercising 
• Automating what you can

It can be challenging to sit down and focus when you have to work from a different space every day or work with other family members in the same room. It’s helpful for productivity that you find a dedicated workspace. This can be simply a dedicated desk, or maybe you could work at a coworking space nearby. 

When you create a dedicated workspace, you will be able to focus better and get into the right mindset quicker. 

One of the perks of working for yourself is that you have a lot more freedom and flexibility than employees. However, if you don’t have strict working hours, you could end up procrastinating, not completing all of your work or end up even working longer hours. 

There are several advantages to setting a stricter schedule for yourself, including:

• You will have a more precise focus on what you need to do
• You will spend less time doing work by deciding when you start and finish a task
• It will help you to become more organised
• You will be less stressed and more focused on your work

Perhaps the most significant benefit is that you will enjoy a much better work-life balance, which is one of the biggest problems self-employed people face. 

There are plenty of free software tools that make life easier for many self-employed business owners and entrepreneurs, so why not try some out and see if they work for you? These tools can help you stay focused on your task, productive and organised. Here are some tools that could help make your life easier:

• Trello
• Monday.com
• Evernote
• Jira
• Todoist
• ClickUp

All of these platforms have plenty of features and each has something unique to offer, from drag and drop features to time tracking capabilities. These tools can dramatically improve your organisation and time management, so try them out and find which one works for you.

More than one-third of UK-based workers never take a lunch break, harming overall productivity and health. After all, how can anyone work for eight hours straight and still maintain the same levels of focus and productivity that they started the day with? 

Taking even a fifteen-minute break now and then can have several benefits, such as:

• Improving overall productivity
• Increasing morale
• Improving posture 
• Reducing stress

So whether you decide to take small breaks throughout the day or maybe just a more extended lunch, make sure you give yourself time to relax and clear your head.  

You might also want to use a pen and paper or a simple note-taking app to make a to-do list, along with some productivity software. Writing on paper is a great way to focus on your goals, take note of any tasks that popped up during the day and remember chores that you need to take care of after you’ve finished work. There’s also something satisfying about crossing off a list or ripping up a piece of paper that software tools can’t quite replicate.

Creating a to-do list in the morning of your workday is helpful, but it’s much easier to do it the day before when you’re finishing up work or if you’re planning your day in the evening. By planning your day after finishing work, you’re saving more time the next day. You also know what needs to be done when you sit down the following morning, making it easier to get started and avoid procrastination. 

Making your office a much more ergonomically-friendly space can have great physical and mental benefits, helping you to increase productivity throughout the day. 

Getting a chair or ergonomic tools is now a workplace necessity if you’re self-employed or work in an office environment. Incorporating these tools can be a gradual transition. 

It could be as simple as getting an ergonomic mouse that helps reduce wrist strain or a wireless keyboard so you can put your laptop at eye level. However, possibly the most crucial part of your body to protect is your back, so investing in a chair with better lumbar support or a standing desk can be very beneficial. They can be a much more significant investment but a valuable one.

It would be best to take advantage of your flexible schedule to incorporate exercise into your daily routine. Exercise has a huge number of benefits, including:

• Increasing alertness
• Reducing stress
• Helping to lower blood pressure
• Clearing your head

You don’t have to run a marathon to feel these benefits either. A simple ten-minute walk in a park or a few yoga stretches can be a great way to relieve some stress and get you ready to get back to work again. 

When you’re self-employed, it means that you will have to juggle several different tasks. Some people decide to outsource theirs, while others don’t mind doing extra tasks like marketing or bookkeeping and running their business. It can be very challenging to juggle all of these things; however, there are a lot of tools to help you, such as:

• Hootsuite or Buffer: These tools help you to automate your social media posts. You can create a batch of social media posts at the start of the week or month and schedule them for whenever you want them posted. 
• Countingup: Preparing and sending invoices to your clients shouldn’t be a lengthy process. With the simple app, you can prepare and send invoices in seconds, and receive notifications when they have been paid. 
• Calendly: This meeting scheduling app makes it simple for customers and clients to book appointments with you. Set your availability and clients can pick a time that works best for both of you. 
• Freelancing sites: If you’re really struggling with the workload or you don’t have the specific skills needed for a task, you can always use a freelancing website such as Upwork or Fiverr to find an expert that can help you.

Launching a new business takes time and effort – so don’t let bookkeeping admin steal time away from doing what you love. The Countingup app will help you save on the time and stress of maintaining well-organised financial records.

Countingup is the business current account and accounting software in one app. It helps you to automate your business’ financial admin and keep on top of your bookkeeping easily. This will let you focus on other aspects of setting up your business, boosting your productivity.

Get paid faster with instant invoicing and make sure your accounts are always accurate with instant invoicing, automatic expense categorisation and a receipt capture prompt. 

Find out more here and sign up for free today.