One of the most underrated ways to scale your business is by saving time.

How do you do that?

It’s advice you’ve heard a thousand times: Work smarter, not harder.

But there you are, still sitting up at 2am trying to learn the ins and outs of how to centre a div and make the perfect website from scratch.

You think that by doing this you’re learning to work smarter, but you’re not.

You’re only focusing on the HOW.

Instead of focusing on the WHAT.

It’s a subtle difference.

...but THE difference.

But if you want to scale your business sustainably, you have to focus on the what, before the how.

To figure out what you should be working on, start by making a list of every task you have to do to run your business:

• Design

• Marketing

• Development

• Sales

• Emails

• Taxes

• Etc.

For bonus points, track your time for a month and record how many hours you spend on each of these tasks.

Then answer these questions:

• Which tasks do I enjoy?

• Which tasks energize me and which ones drain me?

• Which tasks directly generate revenue?

• What can I outsource?

• What can I delegate?

• What can I automate?

Freelancers on average spend over 25% of their time on non-revenue generating tasks like admin and emailing clients.

How many billable hours is that costing you?

To minimize this percentage, use tools like:

1. Aidbase to handle AI client communication

2. Wix Studio for website templates

3. ClientManager to handle client onboarding & admin in one place

I cover 30+ tools here if you're interested.

Some tasks can’t be automated, but are still a waste of your time if you want to grow.

Stop wasting hours on things like:

❌ Creating the perfect portfolio

❌ Making your logo pixel perfect

❌ Making your website load 1s faster

Rather focus on things that move the needle:

✅ Marketing & outreach

✅ SEO & social media content

✅ Building a personal brand

✅ Advertising and sales activities

When you’re clear on what to work on, use the Ivy Lee Method to make sure you spend your time productively:

1. Take 30 minutes every Sunday night to plan your week

2. Write down the 6 most important tasks you need to complete that week

3. Block specific times in your calendar to work on and complete each task

4. During the week, commit to the schedule, but be prepared to adjust as you need to. Look at what doesn't get finished or what new priorities come up, then adjust your schedule accordingly for the following week.

Remember, it’s not about HOW you work, but WHAT you work on.

First fix your what, then work on the how.

Takeaways

• Focus on what to work on rather than how to do tasks to scale your business.

• List and evaluate all tasks for enjoyment, revenue impact, and potential for outsourcing or automation.

• Use efficiency tools (e.g., Aidbase, Wix Studio, ClientManager) to minimize time spent on admin tasks.

• Concentrate on growth-driving activities like marketing and sales over perfection in non-essential areas.

• Plan weekly tasks with the Ivy Lee Method to enhance productivity and ensure focus on impactful work.

Have a good one, and chat to you next week!

Thanks for reading!

-Kyle