Save 100+ Hours as an Entrepreneur: 5 Simple Time-Saving Tips!

You check the clock—it's 2 a.m. Your to-do list keeps growing, and that overwhelming feeling of falling behind is creeping in again.

As a startup founder, I know exactly how you feel. I’ve been there.

But I've got your back. Let me show you 5 simple time-saving tips I've learned from working with over 50 startups and some of the billion-dollar companies worldwide that you can use in your business right now.

But these aren't the usual generic tips from the next best time-management book. They're tried-and-true pro hacks I've used for years that have saved me hundreds of hours and helped me focus on what really matters. And if they work for me, they'll work for you.

→ How to prioritize your goals effectively.
→ Techniques to combat perfectionism and embrace a productive mindset.
→ Pro tips that will save you hundreds of hours.

Let's dive in!

Alright, let's start with a pro tip that has saved me 100s of hours and that you can easily implement as well. I picked it up from the book Your Next Five Moves by Patrick Bet-David and Greg Dinkin. It's such a simple concept, but it can seriously change the way you approach your startup.

The idea is that you should always be planning your next five moves - like a chess grandmaster. You want to have that big-picture vision in mind and then break it down into five specific milestones that move you closer to that vision.

I use this strategy every week, so here's how I do it: I set a main goal for the year. For example, to reach a new revenue goal - let's say €200,000.

Once I've got that in mind, I break it down into five steps that will help me reach that goal. For example, release a new online course, monetize my blog, create a membership, start a business partnership, or use affiliate marketing.

I then prioritize them based on what will have the biggest impact.
For every step, i use a different color. I usually focus on the top 3 and then move on when i am done with these.

Then - every Saturday - I take some time to review those five moves and think about the smaller action steps I need to take in the coming week to make progress.

For example, what action steps do I need to take to launch a new online course this year? I match the colors to the main steps so I can see which action step I am affecting.

And then I put the action steps on my calendar for the next week.

What I love about this approach is that it makes it easier to prioritize and cut through all the noise. As a founder, I know how it feels to have a million things screaming for your attention. But when you know your next five moves, it's a lot easier to say, "Okay, this is important, and that... not so much."

So, if you haven't done this exercise yet - what's your big goal for the year? And what are your next five moves to get there?
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Now that we have our goals in place, let's move on to something that will really help you get things done-especially if you're like me and tend to get stuck chasing perfection.

Okay, so here's something that used to really slow me down: Trying to make everything perfect. I remember when I was building my website, I would spend hours tweaking little details that honestly didn't matter much in the long run.

And looking back, I wasted so much time!

Here's what I learned: 90% is usually good enough. The last 10% - that's the stuff that takes forever. And the funny thing is, it's often the stuff that no one else even notices. So instead of aiming for perfection, I've learned to stop at 90% and just move on to the next task.

And this applies to everything: From launching your website to building your product. Get it to 90%, release it, and then improve as you go.

Done is better than perfect, right?
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One thing that's helped me a lot with that is setting time limits on my tasks. For example, I give myself a specific amount of time, say an hour, and when the timer goes off, I move on to the next task. No exceptions.

To be honest, it can be hard at first, especially if you're a perfectionist like me. But trust me, the more you do it, the easier it gets. And best of all, you have more time for the things that really matter.

This is one of those things that founders often overlook, especially when they're just starting out. But let me tell you - automation is a game changer, and it's not just for big companies.

In fact, the sooner you start automating things in your startup, the better. I mean, a lot of founders think, "I'll worry about automation once my startup scales," but that's a big mistake.

If you automate simple, repetitive tasks early on, it frees up a lot of your time, and more importantly, it helps you build systems early on that will make scaling easier later on.
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For example, one thing I recommend you always automate is your email newsletters. Set up an automated sequence for people who download your lead magnet and lead them to buy your offer.

You don't want to manually follow up on every lead. You don't even want to manually add these people to your email list - automate as much as possible.

Another easy win is social media scheduling. Instead of logging in every day to post, I batch my content and schedule everything ahead of time.

Take a second - what is one time-consuming task in your business that you could automate today? Focus on what takes the most time right now.

Imagine what else you could do with your time if you could automate it.

I don't know about you, but I used to be all over the place with my work. I'd spend 20 minutes on one thing, then switch to something else, then check my phone, and by the end of the day I felt like I got nothing done.

It was really frustrating.

And then I discovered this tip: Batching similar tasks. Instead of jumping from one thing to another, I now block out specific times for certain types of tasks. I literally put a blocker on my calendar.

For example, if I need to respond to emails, I set aside a chunk of time just for that. No distractions, no interruptions. Or if I'm working on content creation, I'll set aside a couple of hours to focus on that one thing.

The key here is to avoid task switching. Because every time you switch tasks, your brain has to refocus, and that wastes a lot of time. But when you batch similar tasks together, you get into a flow, and you end up being much more productive.
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Try this: Look at your calendar and block off some time for specific tasks. And no phone! You'll be surprised how much more you can get done.
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So what's a task you could batch this week?
Block some time for it and focus on it.

Here's a powerful tip. As you run your startup, you'll find that certain tasks keep repeating themselves. Things like sending customer emails, writing proposals, or even crafting social media posts.

So instead of starting from scratch every time, why not create templates?
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For example, I have a few go-to templates for my email newsletter, so I'm not reinventing the wheel every time.

Or, if you're using AI tools like ChatGPT, you can even create prompts that you can reuse for different tasks. These templates saved me so much time because I didn't have to start from scratch every time.

So think about it - what tasks do you repeat? Where do you start from scratch, and what's one template you could create right now that would save you time in the future?

So there you have it-the five time management tips that can really help you take away the fear of being overwhelmed and help you focus on what matters. Define your next five moves, go for 90%, automate what you can, batch your tasks, and create templates.

And the great thing is that if you implement just one of these tips, it can help you feel more in control of your time and less stressed.
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Getting control of your time is great - but only part of building a successful startup. If you want to learn how to build a successful, thriving startup, my Startup Success Bundle is perfect for you!

It's my answer to founders getting stuck in the process or making critical mistakes that cost their business.

Check it out!