6 Proven Time Management Tips for Home Professionals
Follow these suggestions from pros to manage your time well and deliver stress-free, high-quality projects
Running a home design or remodeling business involves many elements, and you can frequently find yourself juggling design work, administrative tasks, client meetings and marketing. Add to this those unexpected issues that can come up during a project and you could find schedules running away with themselves.
To help you plan your time effectively, we’ve put together a roundup of some of the most useful tips that professionals on Houzz have shared with us.
To help you plan your time effectively, we’ve put together a roundup of some of the most useful tips that professionals on Houzz have shared with us.
2. Make Lists and Schedules
An organized schedule that’s broken down into lists of smaller tasks is one of the most effective ways to keep a project on schedule.
“Start each day by identifying your most critical tasks and setting clear goals for what you want to achieve,” James Woodham of Akiva Projects says. “Prioritize these tasks based on their importance and deadlines. This will help you stay focused on what truly matters and avoid getting overwhelmed by less important details.
“Invest in project management software or tools that can help you organize your projects, tasks and deadlines,” he adds. “These tools can provide a clear overview of project progress, task assignments and deadlines.”
Houzz Pro’s Schedule tool is perfect for this, as it allows you to break down a job into phases and to-do lists, with each team member being allocated different tasks. To save even more time, you can create schedule templates for similar projects and upload them quickly whenever you take on a new client.
Learn how to manage your business better using Houzz Pro software
An organized schedule that’s broken down into lists of smaller tasks is one of the most effective ways to keep a project on schedule.
“Start each day by identifying your most critical tasks and setting clear goals for what you want to achieve,” James Woodham of Akiva Projects says. “Prioritize these tasks based on their importance and deadlines. This will help you stay focused on what truly matters and avoid getting overwhelmed by less important details.
“Invest in project management software or tools that can help you organize your projects, tasks and deadlines,” he adds. “These tools can provide a clear overview of project progress, task assignments and deadlines.”
Houzz Pro’s Schedule tool is perfect for this, as it allows you to break down a job into phases and to-do lists, with each team member being allocated different tasks. To save even more time, you can create schedule templates for similar projects and upload them quickly whenever you take on a new client.
Learn how to manage your business better using Houzz Pro software
3. Be Upfront With Clients About Time Frames
It’s important to set a time schedule that you can realistically stick to and to communicate this to your client. Don’t be tempted to overpromise, as this will result in a rushed project, more stress for yourself and, ultimately, an unhappy client.
“I used to try to please everyone all the time and to take on all projects no matter the size or location,” James says. “I quickly found this wasn’t possible and it wasn’t good for the customer in the end.”
“Being honest is very important,” garden designer Peter Reader says. “If it will be a month before you can start, then state this upfront.” He advises working at a pace at which you know you can deliver quality without cutting corners.
5 Ways to Prepare First-Time Remodelers Before Work Begins
It’s important to set a time schedule that you can realistically stick to and to communicate this to your client. Don’t be tempted to overpromise, as this will result in a rushed project, more stress for yourself and, ultimately, an unhappy client.
“I used to try to please everyone all the time and to take on all projects no matter the size or location,” James says. “I quickly found this wasn’t possible and it wasn’t good for the customer in the end.”
“Being honest is very important,” garden designer Peter Reader says. “If it will be a month before you can start, then state this upfront.” He advises working at a pace at which you know you can deliver quality without cutting corners.
5 Ways to Prepare First-Time Remodelers Before Work Begins
4. Avoid Multitasking
When you have too many plates spinning at the same time, they can all come crashing down around you, so try to focus on one task at a time. An effective strategy, according to James, is to block out time slots for each different activity.
“For instance, set aside blocks of time for client meetings, design concept development, sourcing materials, and administrative tasks,” he says. “Stick to your schedule as closely as possible to ensure you have dedicated time for all aspects of your work.”
“I also prefer blocking out a few hours each week for design work and try to switch off my phone or email in order to focus on the project in hand,” interior designer Chantel Elshout says.
When you have too many plates spinning at the same time, they can all come crashing down around you, so try to focus on one task at a time. An effective strategy, according to James, is to block out time slots for each different activity.
“For instance, set aside blocks of time for client meetings, design concept development, sourcing materials, and administrative tasks,” he says. “Stick to your schedule as closely as possible to ensure you have dedicated time for all aspects of your work.”
“I also prefer blocking out a few hours each week for design work and try to switch off my phone or email in order to focus on the project in hand,” interior designer Chantel Elshout says.
5. Automate Tasks
Those important regular admin tasks, such as creating proposals and invoices, can really eat into your time, so it’s a good idea to find ways to automate them. Use online software to create document templates that you can quickly modify for each client.
“We use interactive templates for everything from developer or homeowner proposal documents through to different stage invoices,” Jake Hinchliffe of Orange Design Studio says. “This has turned a two-hour proposal task into a five-minute one.” He recommends taking time to make sure these templates look good in order to make a positive first impression with a client.
Check out Houzz Pro’s Estimates tool, which you can use to create accurate estimates and allow clients to approve them on their mobile phone.
Those important regular admin tasks, such as creating proposals and invoices, can really eat into your time, so it’s a good idea to find ways to automate them. Use online software to create document templates that you can quickly modify for each client.
“We use interactive templates for everything from developer or homeowner proposal documents through to different stage invoices,” Jake Hinchliffe of Orange Design Studio says. “This has turned a two-hour proposal task into a five-minute one.” He recommends taking time to make sure these templates look good in order to make a positive first impression with a client.
Check out Houzz Pro’s Estimates tool, which you can use to create accurate estimates and allow clients to approve them on their mobile phone.
6. Give Yourself a Contingency Timeline
No matter how carefully you schedule your time, it’s impossible to plan for all eventualities. Unexpected delays can throw a well-planned timeline off schedule, so it makes sense to prepare ahead for project surprises.
Andrés Medina of Spanish firm Decorando tu espacio recommends setting a deadline that has a margin for contingencies. “I increase all my project timelines by 20%,” he says. “I have room for maneuver in case of anything unforeseen, and, if everything goes well, we deliver before the date we’ve given the client.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Houzz Pro Forum
No matter how carefully you schedule your time, it’s impossible to plan for all eventualities. Unexpected delays can throw a well-planned timeline off schedule, so it makes sense to prepare ahead for project surprises.
Andrés Medina of Spanish firm Decorando tu espacio recommends setting a deadline that has a margin for contingencies. “I increase all my project timelines by 20%,” he says. “I have room for maneuver in case of anything unforeseen, and, if everything goes well, we deliver before the date we’ve given the client.”
More for Pros on Houzz
Read more stories for pros
Learn about Houzz Pro software
Talk with your peers in the Houzz Pro Forum
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When you’re running a small firm, it can be tempting to save money by managing all aspects of the business yourself. However, this could end up being a false economy, as you find yourself spending too much time on some tasks and not enough on others.
Lior Brosh of Brosh Architects stresses the importance of delegating tasks. “We all have the same 24 hours in a day, and to make the best use of them is very important to any growing business,” he says. “If you can’t delegate, you’ll find it extremely hard to grow.”
Identify those aspects of the business that eat up your time and consider hiring someone to do these tasks, while you concentrate on the areas where your strengths lie.