Boosting Productivity: The Power of High Value Activities for Solopreneurs

sophie clyde smith female business coach

As a solopreneur, time is our most precious asset, directly impacting our business outcomes.

As a business coach for female solopreneurs, time management and productivity is one of the top subjects I support my clients with. Within this subject, I passionately share about the importance of knowing and focusing on High Value Activities (HVAs).

In this blog I am going to expand on exactly why HVAs are so important, how gaining clarity on them helps you grow your business, where NOT to be spending your time and how to build a realistic and tailored HVA strategy for your business.

Firstly, why is knowing your HVA’s so important?

Understanding your unique HVAs empowers you to prioritise effectively, steering clear of distractions that don’t drive impact. It’s about working smarter, not harder—a goal shared by many of the women I work with, and perhaps you too?

Without clarity on HVAs, it’s easy to fall into the trap of procrastination—busying ourselves with non-essential tasks like endlessly checking emails or tweaking websites for the umpteenth time (we’ve all been there)!

The opposite of HVA’s is low-value activities (LVA’s) i.e. where NOT to spend all your time! Review the list of low-value tasks below and see if any of them might be showing up as part of your regular workday;

Routine administrative duties like filing documents, scheduling appointments, and managing routine emails.
Technical maintenance such as minor website updates and software troubleshooting, non-strategic research
Excessive social media browsing without a clear strategy
Handling routine customer inquiries that could be automated or delegated, and
Tracking small expenses

Take a moment to reflect: How much of your valuable time slips into these low-impact activities—5%, 45%, or even 80%?

These tasks, while necessary, do not significantly contribute to business growth or client satisfaction. They should be managed consciously and efficiently to allow more focus on your HVAs.

Another reason you may find yourself falling into the LVAs trap is knowing what you want but not knowing HOW to achieve it. Lacking this clarity can keep you stuck in the routine of day-to-day tasks, a common issue among my clients.

So what is the solution? How can you stop wasting your precious time and refocus your efforts on tasks that you KNOW will get your results?

Clarifying your HVAs

A good place to start would be to define what your HVA’s are. You need to see where the goal posts are in order to score a goal! Let me help you out with this….

ALL activities for online service-based solopreneurs can be generally be categorised into 4 main areas:

Marketing
Sales
Operations
Service Delivery

Within these 4 categories, here are some examples of specific HVA’s that you can be doing;

Marketing:

Digital Marketing: Utilising strategies like content marketing (blogs, articles, videos), segmented email campaigns, engaging social media posts, and SEO tactics to attract and engage clients. Conducting thorough target audience research to ensure your content and campaigns resonate with the right people and you’re creating copy that converts.
Personal Branding: Establishing yourself as an expert through consistent content creation, sharing insights, and showcasing client successes.
Networking and Collaboration: Joining industry events and forming partnerships to broaden your network and resources. (Top tip; join one of my community calls!)
Hosting Events: Organising webinars or workshops to showcase expertise and generate leads.

Sales:

Lead Generation: Using engaging content and SEO to attract clients, or creating valuable marketing pieces.
Consultative Selling: Personalised consultations that convert leads into clients through tailored solutions.
Client Acquisition: Managing from initial contact to closing the deal, including personalised follow-ups.

Operations:

Service Delivery Systems: Efficient delivery using project management tools and collaboration software.
Workflow Optimisation: Streamlining processes and maintaining consistency.
Client Communication: Clear updates and responsiveness.
Technology Integration: Leveraging CRM systems and cloud solutions.
Financial Management: Automated billing and cash flow monitoring.
Continuous Learning: Staying updated through courses and webinars.
Product or Service Improvement: Innovating based on feedback and trends.

Service Delivery:

Client Onboarding: Clear expectations and goal alignment.
Service Execution: Timely delivery with regular updates.
Client Satisfaction: Feedback loops and ongoing support.
Client Relationship Management (CRM): Building loyalty through personalised engagement.

Reflecting on these HVAs and the LVAs shared above, you might already realise that you’re working smart and prioritising effectively. If so, celebrate this achievement! Alternatively, you might identify a slight imbalance and see how consciously shifting your time allocation could benefit you.

If you find yourself in the latter category, here are my top tips to create a personalised and realistic HVA strategy:

Prioritise Impact: Identify and focus on activities with the highest growth potential.
Set Clear Goals: Define measurable targets for each HVA.
Weekly Action Plan: Break tasks into manageable weekly goals.
Batch Tasks: Group similar activities to maximise efficiency.
Regular Review: Assess progress monthly and adjust strategies.
Outsource or Automate: Delegate tasks beyond your expertise.
Self-Care: Balance work with personal well-being.
Stay Flexible: Adapt strategies based on feedback and market changes.

By following these steps, you can develop a focused and achievable HVA strategy that supports sustainable growth without feeling overwhelmed. It’s about being intentional with your time and resources to not only maximise efficiency and effectiveness in all aspects of your business but also stay connected to your bigger picture and above all, enjoy yourself as you go!

Because when the business is flowing and you know you are spending your time well, it feesl amazing.

In Summary

Understanding and prioritising HVAs is crucial for solopreneurs aiming to maximise productivity and business growth. By focusing on impactful activities, avoiding time drains, and crafting a clear (and realistic) HVA strategy, you can achieve more with less effort, ensuring sustainable success in your entrepreneurial journey.

Here are 3 HVAs you can take straight away that will definitely support the growth of your business: