Time-saving hacks that really work for your business

From the Redditors who insist you can heat leftover pizza on a hotel iron to Jason Derulo chipping his teeth by eating corn on the cob attached to a power drill (ouch), the internet is full of ill-advised time-saving hacks. We’re definitely not recommending any weird new uses for your household tools… but with the many hats you wear as a business owner, we bet you’d welcome some efficiency savings that won’t result in a trip to the dentist. 

We asked FreeAgent customers how they make time for the things that really matter. Here are their tried-and-tested tips.

‘Do less, but better’

Libby Langley, Business Coach and Podcaster

Running a business doesn’t have to mean being constantly overwhelmed. These three simple strategies will help you take back control and create more time for what truly matters.

1. Prioritise ruthlessly. Identify the ONE thing that will have the biggest impact on your business this week and focus your energy there. Everything else can wait, be delegated, or ditched.
2. Set clear boundaries. Let clients (and family!) know when you’re available and when you’re not. Protect your concentration time like it’s a meeting with your most important client - because it is (you!).
3. Do less, but better. Streamline your offers and cut out anything that doesn’t excite you or make a profit. By doing less, you can focus on delivering more value, and reclaiming your time.

Libby Langley is an award-winning business coach, podcast host and author. libbylangley.com

‘Create systems that do the heavy lifting for you’

Kenneth Ekow, Founder, Scale Story

As a founder, balancing creativity and productivity often feels like trying to walk a tightrope. One that is subject to constant hailstorms and you being blindfolded. One moment you’re innovating, the next you’re swamped by emails and administrative tasks. The typical advice? “Build a routine and stick to it.”

But here’s the thing - routines rely heavily on motivation and willpower, which we have a finite amount of, especially when you’re wearing multiple hats. The better approach? Create systems that do the heavy lifting for you.

Whether it’s social media scheduling, meeting reminders, or task management, automate the mundane so your brain can focus on creative problem-solving.

Two easy examples:

Time block with themes, not tasks

Dedicate mornings to creative work and afternoons to operational tasks - but leave specifics loose and timings sharp. This keeps your day dynamic while maintaining productivity.

Iterate, don’t perfect

Don’t get stuck trying to make it perfect, make it. You can always update as you go as your transparent efforts will always be appreciated.

The result? Less stress, more flow.

By creating systems instead of routines, you remove the pressure to find daily motivation. Instead, you tap into a sustainable system that helps you be productive and creative no matter what.

Stay curious and keep scaling!

Scale Story helps founders and CEOs scale their influence through video-first personal branding. www.scale-story.com 

‘Use technology to save time’

Suzi Brown, Website Developer and Mentor, The Smart Bear

I use technology to help me save time - FreeAgent to automate recurring invoicing and invoice reminders; AI to help me write blogs, documentation and social media; and software that automates some of my regular tasks. It saves me hours once it's all set up, so I'm always looking for new software/better ways of doing things for both myself and my clients. 

The Smart Bear is an ethical website design, development and SEO consultancy. www.thesmartbear.co.uk

‘Don't underestimate the power of connection’

Kylie Reid, Founder, egg

1. Lean into AI. There are so many ways it can help move your business forward, help generate ideas when you need inspiration. We've only scratched the surface but will look for more ways to utilise it in 2025. Paying for ChatGPT has been well worth the £20/month cost. The paid version not only has more features, it also stores all your previous searches and business information, giving more personalised answers each time. [For more information, read: Should your small business be using AI?]
2. Network. Don't underestimate the power of connection, of finding business owners who can become your sounding board, who have been there, done that, who can help you problem solve. No need to ruminate and procrastinate, have a discussion or drop them a message, many hours will be saved - find those wingwomen!

Egg is an Edinburgh-based, female-fostering network. www.weareegg.co.uk

‘Know your customer’

Malcolm Gallagher, CEO, BVTV Media Ltd

Are you wasting time by chasing rabbits in your business? When I take my daughter’s dog, Crumble, for his morning walk it becomes amusing watching him chasing rabbits and scuttling in all directions. Another emerges and appears to say “chase me”, only to disappear. Later Crumble comes back exhausted, tail-wagging but no result. Is that how you are wasting your time chasing customers?

The old saying that 80% of your profits will come from 20% of your customers still rings true. The gain of today is that you can quickly identify that 20% using FreeAgent. [Find out how to identify your top customers with Insights.] 

Now carefully profile each of the 20% so you truly Know Your Customer, including how you got them and why they buy from you. Then apply two simple strategies to avoid time-wasting. First, work out how you can sell more to them and second, work out how you can find more of their profile. Do this and you’ll have business growth and more time for dog-walking!

The BizVision Hub is a network of online business support channels. www.bvtvglobal.com 

‘Record your time in FreeAgent, then produce invoices’

Kathleen McAdams, Managing Director, Albany HR

1. Record your time. If you bill for your time, it’s brilliant to be able to record your time in FreeAgent and then produce invoices using the info in the system – no need for spreadsheets and manual calculations!
2. Use Smart Capture to make recording and claiming expenses quick and easy.
3. Factor proposals into your pricing. Set potential clients up in FreeAgent as contacts and record time spent on preparing proposals so you can factor this into your pricing.

Albany HR offers tailored HR solutions for SME employers. albanyhr.com

Could accounting software save you time and money?

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Already using FreeAgent? Find out more ways we could save you time with our webinar - Save time: FreeAgent efficiency hacks for busy businesses.