5 Tips for Entrepreneurs to Boost Productivity

By Olumide Labulo

 

                     

Entrepreneurship is one funny terrain that many dread and in truth, that's understandable. It is not the sphere of mere dreamers or the fainthearted, nah! Far from it. It is the realm of doers, the bold, the daring and the persistent. An anonymous quote says, "Entrepreneurship is living a few years of your life like most people won’t, so that you can spend the rest of your life like most people can’t." This makes sense, right? 

But the road is always rough, very rough. 

There are days you'll doubt yourself. There are days you'll cry yourself to sleep for not making enough sales in a whole month. There are days you just want to quit and go be part of something elsewhere. There are days you'll go spiritual because you think your village people are on your case. While all of these thoughts and feelings can be valid, there are basic things one needs to do or put in place to experience the kind of productivity boost that is desired.

1. Be sure you're on the right path.

My dear, the truth about this life is that not everyone can be an entrepreneur whether they dread it or not. It's just a simple natural order. Like vessels are made for different reasons, people are created to fulfill different purposes in life. Some are purely designed as intrepreneurs. They thrive only when they are part of something that's already existing. Some are created as both intrepreneurs and entrepreneurs while some are just entrepreneurs.

Secondly, knowing your niche (what you're best suited for) is the side B of the first one. If selling beans is yours for instance and you choose to sell clothes because it's more lucrative, you may never achieve success. Lots of people have missed what they should really dwell on as entrepreneurs. It's true that some just know by intuition but many don't know until after many trial and errors. Anyway, I know a shortcut: just ask your maker. Jer 33:3 says, “Call upon me and I will answer you and I will show you great and mighty things you don't know (about your life which are hidden and you can't distinguish).”

2. Plan well and set your goals.

While I may not talk about the unrealistic comprehensive plan outlining business strategies, marketing, sales and financial projections for a one-man business that's just so all about survival, setting clear-cut goals will help lay the right foundation for the business and propel it beyond the survival stage. Such goals must be measurable, achievable, relevant and time-bound objectives. An article published in Forbes in 2014 revealed that setting goals increased productivity by 11 to 25%. It's like achieving a lot in a short time. Now, the question is how? It is by breaking down big goals into small chunks of goals. If your desire is to have 20 new customers in one week, break it down to 4 new customers per day. That way, productivity improves because the brain manages smaller tasks way better.

3. Focus on high-impact activities that drive revenue, customer acquisition and growth. 

Activities like offering customer-centric services, developing products based on customer feedback to help solve real customer problems usually generate word-of-mouth referrals and repeat purchases. According to a 2023 McKinsey report, companies that adopt a customer-centric approach are 60% more profitable than those that don’t.

Another activity that should be prioritised is data-driven marketing. A 2024 HubSpot report found that businesses using data-driven strategies experience 5–8 times higher ROI on marketing investments. Using analytics to identify target audiences, measure ROI, and optimize campaigns usually goes a long way.

4. Strategically partner and collaborate with other brands.

Partnering with other businesses to expand reach, share audiences, or co-develop products always reduces customer acquisition costs and boost market penetration. In 2022, BCG study reports that companies in strategic alliances grew revenue 12% faster than those going solo.

5. Endeavour to have a team.

Please, you need to understand that partnering with other brands and having a small team (of two or more) depends on the outlook of your business, your capital and the stage you're at. That said, the Bible says one will chase a thousand and two will chase ten thousand. This may not sound logical but it's been proven to work wonders in the business world. Working with like-minds and delegating duties always produce good results.

 

It is the joy of every entrepreneur to see the seed they plant and water germinate and grow into a big tree. It's a long process; it's a long journey but with one step at a time, success is inevitable.

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