We changed Acaboom to incorporate a traffic light system to see what’s on your to do list. What other hacks are there to stay on top of your agency must dos?
At Acaboom, we know that organisation is the key to any efficient business. That’s why when we developed the New Acaboom, packed full of new features, we added a traffic light system. In short, this means immediately you can see where each of your vendor’s is in your process.
No more asking if you’ve sent them a valuation, or if they’ve signed a contract – it’s all there. When these visual to do lists are added, you could save up to an hour a day. Not only will streamlining this allow you to structure (and save) your time, but you’ll feel prepared.
It’s a little like a to do list – but even simpler. Do you love or hate to do lists?
At I Done This, they discovered some interesting numbers demonstrating the common struggle to conquer our to-do lists in general. According to their study:
- 41% of to-do items are never completed.
- 50% of completed to-do items are done within a day.
- 18% of completed to-do items are done within an hour.
- 10% of completed to-do items are done within a minute.
- 15% of “dones” started as to-do items.
It seems that it’s not the list that’s the problem, but how we approach it. It’s the same with our days. They run away. So, what other hacks are there to save time in your day?
Start to use tech to your advantage
Bin the old tech and old ways
- Printing could be taking up 5 minutes a day, and the average employee prints approximately 8,000 A4 pages per year.
- Calling to check in on vendors at an unagreed time could swallow an hour of your day.
- Navigating the messy marketing cupboard could eat up a few minutes a day, as could driving back to the office to prepare for another valuation.
There are inefficiencies everywhere in your business, bit only you can spot them.
It’s estimated that apps or tech that tackles the ‘daily grind’ and admin tasks could save you as much as 1.5 hours a day. That stacks up! In your personal life this could be meal ordering, using a shared online family calendar or even buying multiples of the same neutral outfits so you never spend a minute more than you must making a sartorial choice. When it comes to work, there are some great things to look at.
- Always collecting funds for events for the team or getting coins in for charitable activities? Switch to Collection Pot and you can do it all online.
- Fed up with having to make the teas for everyone? The Tea Round App brings democracy to the tea making process by telling you who’s round it is.
- Expenses stack getting you down? Expensify is a really useful tool for tracking receipts.
- Losing your keys multiple times a day? Get a Tile and regain your sanity.
- iPad or smart phone phone dead every day? Invest in a charging pad that can sit on any desk or surface for anyone to use by just laying their phone on.
- Sending the same emails over and over? Use the settings in Gmail > Advanced > enable Templates to make set, canned responses. Click the three dots when you compose to send the email of your choice in seconds.
- Ask Siri if you have any new messages, to set reminders, or ‘do I have any new voicemails. Using Siri and getting comfy doing so can be a game changer.
- Use Stretchly to remind you to take a break. Conversely to plugging away, a short break leaves you refreshed and better able to focus. This one uses a desktop pop up so you can leave your phone elsewhere.
- Cleanse your to do list. Some people recommend a ‘will do’ list as a realistic daily plan, and it’s also recommended that your personal tasks go on here. Skip them and create a huge to do list with things as broad as ‘proof new slides’ through to ‘visit Dublin’ aren’t going to go down with speed. A shorter, realistic list can help. Desktop software like TimeBro can also track each activity, so you can see how long you are really spending on emails and other web-based tasks.
- The Acaboom In Your Pocket app is also on hand to alert you to appointments, proposals being read, and even agency agreements being signed.
Set agendas for your valuations
Although you are likely a master of rapport, it can really help to have a structured way to guide people through the market appraisal. Just like in another meeting, set the tone by explaining they are free to ask questions, but that your presentation may answer some of them, or get them excited by saying ‘your home looks just like one that sold recently – let me show you’.
A digital presentation works so well here as it follows a simple path towards a conclusion and can be sat down and viewed.
By not getting too far off track (while retaining your human side!) you can avoid too many questions early on about things like photography or conveyancing or even the market in general, and focus on their property, followed by other areas of interest.
Set your day up with an un-chaotic routine
The traffic light system for Acaboom works so well because it actively creates a to-do list without giving you an overwhelming to-do list. Simply do all the work and send everything out – your vendors all have green dots! It’s visually satisfying.
Satisfaction and calm, taking time and enjoying the small things can all make a huge impact on your day. While it feels good to be busy, being busy isn’t always representative of your best work.
It sounds fluffy but even something as simple as buying a new gentle alarm sound from iTunes for your iPhone so you aren’t startled out of bed can get you in the right headspace. After that, your routine is down to personal choice.
Working with your natural rhythms of creativity or focus is key to producing the best work at the best time for you.
Look back at your success rate on valuations. If you’re a little stagnant in the morning, perhaps that’s a better time for other activities. Now, to convince the MD!
Wishing you all, a very satisfying, time saving day.
