It’s easy to feel like your business operates on another plane from the rest of the world. You’re in a unique position, juggling new responsibilities and operating on limited hours, but you also have bills to pay and a team of employees who need to be paid on time. If you want to work harder and achieve more with your business, it’s important that you find ways to create the right conditions for yourself and your team. Here are some effective ways that you can be more productive with your business.

Set Goals

Before you can start streamlining your processes and optimizing your workflows, you have to know what you want to achieve. Some businesses track goals on a rolling basis as a way of making sure that they have a constant sense of urgency. Others prefer to set goals based on the fiscal year so that they can plan ahead and budget properly. Whatever method you choose, be sure to revisit your goals on a regular basis to check your progress.

Get Your Priorities Straight

Productivity isn’t simply a matter of working harder. It’s also about working smarter. That means setting the right priorities and making sure that your employees and team members are focused on the right tasks at the right times. If you don’t have a good grasp on how your business actually works, you risk wasting time by trying to do too many things at once. There’s no shame in seeking expertise in certain areas, but you also need to know where you’re most valuable.

Have a Communication Ritual

Communication is essential to running a successful business. You want to be able to communicate with your team in a way that’s both efficient and timely. How often you communicate with your team members will depend on a number of factors. Some companies prefer to have weekly meetings, while others opt for daily communication. Whatever you decide, make sure that you have a central communication hub where you and your team members can leave each other notes and updates.

Productivity is never a linear process. You might have a really productive month, but then feel like you’re spinning your wheels soon after. That said, there will always be things that you can do to be more productive. The trick is to recognize when you need to make adjustments and take steps to improve your workflow. With some patience and hard work, you and your team can achieve more in the long run.