Update the way you use technology

We generally start the new year with the best of intentions about improving the way we do things, but then the resolve peters out and things carry on as they were.

But in an increasingly fast paced business environment, improving efficiency is crucial to business survival and growth.

Wired magazine has a few suggestions for improvement.

First on their list is creating and maintaining a to-do-list online that can be synched to multiple devices. There is dedicated list software for complex lists but if you don’t need this Apple offers Reminders and Android offers Tasks to keep you up to date.

Decluttering your inbox and reducing the numbers of unanswered emails can be achieved if you set up some automatic filters and rules, allowing messages to be organised in a way that works for you, leaving only the crucial ones to be dealt with.

Improve your security by using a password manager to store all your passwords in one place and help you to create stronger ones.

If you spend too much time on your cell phone or tablet it could be that you are getting too many distracting notifications for new updates on platforms like Instagram and other social media sites. You can set timers to help limit your idle scrolling.

Wired also has advice for turning off what are called “push” notifications, which are pop-ups encouraging you to buy or do something such as ordering food.

You can also maximise the efficiency of browsers by using extensions or add-ons supplied by Chrome and Firefox respectively.

Another useful time-saver for small businesses is to automate order and invoicing processes and their follow-ups rather than doing it manually.