The Busy Mom Entrepreneur’s Guide to an Efficient Business (And Saving 5-10 Hours a Week)

What would you do if you had 5 to 10 more hours in your week?

If your first initial thought goes to working more, it’s probably what you've been trained to do. This is a symptom of being so overworked that you don't have any hobbies or you feel guilty for not doing things outside of work.

Instead think about what you’d do if you were to have 5 to 10 hours back in your week, every single week, to be able to do something that was directly connected with your personal growth, your professional growth, a combination of those things, or even better, your fulfillment and your happiness.

This is why efficiency matters.

It's not necessarily about us being able to do so many more things in our business. 

It's about us doing the most impactful things that are going to get us the greatest result. 

In this special part of the Team Management series, I’m going to share what efficiency truly is, how to identify the areas of your business and life that aren’t running efficiently and what to do so you can gain 5 to 10 hours a week back for yourself, while still growing faster in your business.

TL;DR? Listen to the full podcast episode instead!

If you're in my world, listening and watching the content I'm putting out, you are probably somebody who would love to have more time. As entrepreneurial mothers, the thing we wish for, hope for, we dream of, is the day when we have more time on our hands because we're constantly juggling so many things. 

And the thing about having efficient systems is if we aren’t being efficient, we are losing and wasting our most valuable asset: TIME.

If you're like, “Hold up Kelsey, everything on my plate is my responsibility. There's nothing I can get rid of,” I want you to open your mind to the possibility and opportunity.

Last week, we talked all about delegation, which can easily take things off your plate. This week, we're talking about more efficient systems – which isn't about necessarily removing responsibilities from your plate – but it IS about removing time and workload from your plate. 

Why Efficiency Matters More Than You Think

When I was moving into going from the solopreneur mindset and doing everything myself to building a team and systems, I did not realize the impact of not having systems in place. I did not realize the impact that that was having on my mental health. 

“Systems create peace of mind.”

When you work in so many different areas of your business and have your hands in so many things because the business is yours, you naturally become accustomed to bouncing around, going from thing to thing, being interrupted, having things fall in your lap — it's just part of it. 

But, if something takes you two minutes per day, every single day, that time adds up. There was this weight lifted.

So when I started having systems, like integrating automations, delegating processes, having clear SOPs, there was this weight lifted off of me. I realized there are things happening in my business that are creating either better client results, better client retention, more lead acquisition that I am not directly doing myself and I didn't realize how much it impacted me until I had these things in place.

My Proven Efficiency Process to Save 5-10 Hours a Week

One of the things that I do when I start working with clients is I have them go through what is called my VIP business assessment. This tool I created is incredibly eye-opening. When people fill it out, they go through all the gamut of emotions because in that assessment, we're looking at eight different areas. 

We're looking at everything – from your marketing, your schedule, your retention strategies – and one of the areas that we are looking at is actually your efficiency. 

TO help you uncover the areas of your business that aren’t running efficiently, here are some steps and questions to ask yourself to create more space and time for yourself with systems that run smoothly without needing you:

1. Identify repeated tasks – What do you or your team do over and over that could be automated or streamlined? A common example is manually responding to client inquiries when a simple FAQ page or automated email sequence could save hours.

2. Look for bottlenecks – Where do projects get stuck? What takes longer than it should? Maybe it’s your review process for deliverables or a lack of clear communication that leads to unnecessary back-and-forth.

3. Invest in the right tools – Are you using project management systems, automations, or platforms that could make things easier? Tools like Asana, ClickUp, or Slack can centralize communication and keep projects moving smoothly.

4. Empower your team – Are you delegating with clear processes and trust, or are you still too involved in every step? Micromanaging kills efficiency. When your team has clear expectations and ownership, they work faster and more effectively.

5. Step into a CEO Role – One of the most powerful ways to step out of being so hands-on in the day-to-day tasks and into a more observational and leading role is through intentional, focused time away. Forcing yourself to take the time away actually helps you gain clarity, fresh perspectives, and often a shift that creates an incredible result for your business.

If you’re constantly in the weeds of the business, you can’t make the big-picture decisions that will drive long-term success.

Efficiency allows you to move from running the business to truly leading it.

If you'd like to explore how to make your business more efficient and tailored to your needs, feel free to reach out. Until then, continue to follow along with the Team Management series next week on the blog or podcast. 

And don’t forget to grab the free bundle, which includes a private podcast with five exclusive episodes, plus essential templates for things like performance reviews and quarterly planning to help guide you to building a strong team, better systems and a business that works for you!