Small business owners find tools for better efficiency

How important is saving time to small-business owners?
That’s a question we put to a couple dozen entrepreneurs recently. On a scale of 1 to 5 (5 being most
important), these folks rate time-saving and efficiency in business a 4.8. Yes, a couple of folks say time is not
paramount in their businesses.

By JAN NORMAN
Knight Ridder News Billings Gazette

Still, they acknowledge using tactics and tools to use their time most efficiently.
Face it, you can’t save time. Once it’s gone, it’s gone. The best you can do is make the most productive use
of the time you have.

If time efficiency is a 5 (or even a 4) in your business, learn from these owners who share their secrets of
productivity.
Perhaps the favorite time-saving tactic is to delegate. "The quickest way to save time is to use someone
else’s," said Bill Hall of Action Mold in Anaheim, Calif.
The favorite time-saving tool is the computer. Or handheld organizer. Or cellphone. Or contact management
software. Or As you can tell, technology products in various forms have made life easier and more productive for
the small-business owner.
These tips are fine, but as they say in infomercials, that’s not all.
Adam Urbanski, owner of Incite Development Group in Irvine, Calif., doesn’t just make a to-do list. "I ask
myself which two out of my top 10 activities scheduled for today will produce the greatest payoff," he said.
Urbanski uses a four-months-at-a-glance calendar and calendar in Microsoft Outlook that syncs with his
handheld organizer to remind him of tasks and due dates.
Adele Katz of Kopy Katz Secretarial Service in Long Beach, Calif., organizes her work flow. "I perform jobs
that are similar to each other (to minimize down time) between tasks."
Steve Thomson, president of Sunbelt Business Brokers of Orange Coast in Irvine, saves time "by starting
work at 4:30 a.m. when no one can disturb me."
Keith Offel, head of Money Concepts in Placentia, Calif., said, "The best way to waste time is a lack of
communication." So he schedules quick staff meetings each morning to eliminate any duplication of work, and
he makes sure every employee understands company goals.
"It’s amazing how efficient and powerful you can be when everyone is rowing in the same direction." Hall of
Action Mold agreed. "I work hard to communicate exactly what I need or what my customer needs. If you make it
clear the first time, people tend to get it right the first time."
Tom Orr of H.T. Orr Computer Supplies in Placentia keeps his van fully loaded with supplies and ready to
go. And just in case of problems, he keeps a second van stocked, too.
Costa Mesa, Calif., management consultant Bill Birnbaum takes his work on the road. "I work well on
airplanes."
Tools must be compatible for greatest efficiency, said Scott Ingram, owner of Grey Matter Technologies Inc.
in Santa Ana, Calif. "The way all of our technology works together is what saves us the time. It’s best to learn
how technology tools can help, then automate as much as possible. This saves a huge amount of time on
redundant, predictable tasks."
Alfred Ortiz of Source Diversified in Aliso Viejo, Calif., favors Microsoft Excel and Access as time savers,
then "I write macros, which automate several things that would otherwise be tedious."
Cellphones rank high on many entrepreneurs’ list. "I handle phone calls on a cell in my car between
appointments," said Sheri Long of Solutions@Work in Newport Beach, Calif. "I also put on a phone headset
while on hold and multitask."
Susan Bock of Bock Orchestrations in Huntington Beach, Calif., said another time- as well as space-saver
is her combo fax/copier/printer.
While Santa Ana attorney Lavar Taylor uses computers, software and research tools to save time, he
cautioned, "If you do not carefully match the software with your own office’s needs, you can end up losing lots of
time."
Urbanski praises Appointment Manager, an application service provider at Microsoft’s bCentral.com to
coordinate his schedule with clients. They go online and choose an available time slot from Urbanski’s site.
"I don’t have to spend time chasing people and playing phone tag," he said.
Lynn Johsz of Signs Etc. in Huntington Beach writes all her job specifications and orders for materials and
faxes them to supply houses, rather than telephoning.
"By putting my order in writing, there is less chance of error or misunderstanding, which can delay
production."
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