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`Store owners.` Monkey business image by Fotolia.com
"Store owners." Monkey business image by Fotolia.com

Five tips to save money, time in your small business

Fri, Feb 6th 2015 03:50 pm

StatePoint

There are two things most small business owners have in common: limited time and limited finances. If you're an entrepreneur, finding ways to make the most of both is crucial for your sanity and success.

The key to becoming more efficient with these two key resources is organization, says "SmallBizLady" Melinda Emerson, small business expert and author of the bestselling book "Become Your Own Boss in 12 Months." She has teamed up with Sam's Club to help small business owners save time, money and energy as they tackle their day-to-day tasks. Here are some of her top tips:

•Stop creating never-ending to-do lists. Focus on completing only five things before 11 a.m. each day. By selecting your top priorities at the end of each day, you will become much more selective and effective with your time.

•Focus on a niche target customer. You have limited time and resources for your marketing efforts. It is best if you pick a niche target customer you can actually reach; don't just chase any customer you think has money. Remember, if everyone can use your product or service, no one will.

•Look for one-stop shopping for supplies and services. For example, a Sam's Club business membership not only saves you money on business and restaurant supplies, it also provides members-only savings on a suite of business services that can save you time. Services include solutions for human resources, payroll, payment processing and legal needs. Sam's Club has joined forces with such trusted brands as First Data, LegalZoom and Execupay to provide members-only savings. You can find more information at www.SamsClub.com/services.

•Use a timer when you are on social media. Facebook and many other social media sites can be a huge time suck if you are not strategic. Focus your efforts on just one social site to build your online brand.

•Organize your files. You can waste a lot of time looking for things on your laptop if you're disorganized. Don't store everything on your computer desktop. Create files by category and year, such as "2015 Contracts," to find things quickly. You should also use a cloud storage backup system. This way, you can work from anywhere and your files will be safe if something happens to your computer.

Running a small business is a full-time job and then some. If you are your own boss, take easy steps to maximize your resources and make certain tasks less time consuming.

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