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It’s 9:30 pm on a Sunday night and you still haven’t sent out the roster for next week’s shifts. Your employees are messaging you asking if they have hours tomorrow and panic is beginning to set in because you still have to close the till for the day, do last-minute checks on tomorrow’s set up and lock up.
How did I run out of time again?
How does anyone find the time?
Blocking time in your calendar or time blocking is one of many effective time management methods that small business owners can use to avoid that late Sunday panic and make the most out of your work day.
In this article, we’ll explore the top time blocking apps of 2023 and how they can turn you into a productivity machine.
Why should you use a time blocking app?
Time blocking is a time management technique that involves dividing your day into specific blocks and working on tasks within those blocks. If you need to process payroll every Monday, block out two hours in your calendar and focus only on that task.
No distractions, no putting it off until later when you “have more time”. The reality is you’ll never find more time and time blocking adds structure and efficiency to your day.
A time blocking app is ideal for small business owners who need a hand sorting out their schedule and are not sure where to start. An app allows you to dedicate specific blocks of time to each task on your to-do list and keeps track of past lists, the time you spent on each task and allows you to easily visualize upcoming work.
Adding structure to your day by using a time blocking app can help you overcome distractions and procrastination.
Here are the best apps on the market for time block planning:
Homebase
Homebase’s mobile app was specifically designed with small business owners in mind. Any device becomes a time clock, scheduling machine, or payroll processor with Homebase.
If, like many small business owners, you have an ever-growing stack of paper schedules dating back months and are relying on this format to process payroll and plan out shifts for each week while also trying to find the time to do all the above, an app like Homebase is an ideal solution.
Use the scheduling feature to block out chunks of time in your day or your employees day for tasks. You can even keep track of how long each employee is spending on each task with the handy time tracking feature, allowing you to maximize productivity and therefore profitability.
Assign roles to each time block or task so that employees have visibility on what is expected of them and when. Later on, when you’re processing payroll you can easily check the time each employee tracked, ensuring that everyone is paid fairly and on time.
Use Homebase’s shift planning feature to cut down on hours spent organizing and reorganizing next week’s shifts. You can even keep your team up to date on when you’ll be available and when your time is blocked using the team messaging chat.
Pricing:Homebase’s scheduling and timesheet tool is completely free. There are several tiers of features at different price ranges, depending on which features you want:
Basic. Free for one location and up to 20 employees. It includes basic scheduling and time tracking, employee management tools like Messaging, point-of-sale integrations, and access to email support.
Essentials. $24.95 per month per location. Everything in Basic, plus payroll integrations, team communication, performance tracking, advanced time tracking and scheduling, and access to live support.
Plus. $59.95 per month per location. Everything in Essentials, plus hiring tools, retention and performance tracking, time off controls, and departments and permissions.
All-in-one. $99.95 per month per location. Everything in Plus, with HR and compliance, new hire onboarding, labor cost controls, and business insights.
Toggl Track
Toggl Track is a tool that places time tracking front and center. Its one-click time tracking feature removes the need for tedious manual timesheet entry. It’s designed to increase employee productivity and take the hassle out of understanding where each minute of your employees’ time is going. You can also use Toggl Track to time block ahead of schedule and tracking the time you spend on each task is just one click away with the play button.
Toggl Track also has over 100 integrations with project management tools such as Asana, Google Meets, and Evernote. You can make use of a desktop, mobile, and web app making it convenient for any workplace. Customers also enjoy its interface, ease of use, and the free versions of all the apps that Toggl Track offers.
Pricing:Toggle Track offers several tiers of plans, starting with its most basic free package up to enterprise solutions.
Clockify
Clockify’s calendar feature can be used to visually block out time for those all-important day-to-day tasks that keep small businesses up and running. Do you spend all day Friday planning next week’s shifts? Block out the time in your calendar so that everyone on your team can see you won’t be available during those hours. You can connect Clockify’s calendar to Google Calendar or Outlook so all your tasks are synced.
Pricing:
Clockify’s pricing starts from $3.99 per user per month. There are three more tiers of pricing up to $11.99 per user per month with additional features for each tier.
Sunsama
Sunsama is a daily planning app that is specifically designed for busy business owners who want to maintain a healthy work-life balance. Using Sunsama you can schedule all your daily tasks out in your calendar, complete your plan for the day, and set realistic expectations. Drag and drop tasks from your calendar, email, or other management tools into Sunsama and complete your work at a reasonable time. No more hanging back for a few more hours after closing because you couldn’t find the time for everything.
Sunsama’s ability to combine multiple productivity apps in one place makes it a powerful tool for any small business owner to have in their back pocket. There is even a Focus Mode that allows you to get rid of any distractions or pesky notifications that interfere with your productivity.
Pricing:
Sunsama does not offer a free version and pricing starts from $16/month for the most basic version.
TimeBloc
TimeBloc is yet another daily planning app that can kick-start your productivity. TimeBloc is simple in its features but is designed to reiterate daily, weekly, and monthly habits so you don’t need to spend hours planning out repetitive tasks like responding to customer queries or processing payroll.
TimeBloc helps you split up your day into multiple blocks which you can personalize. Once you create a routine, it is automatically integrated into your calendar saving you valuable planning time. The app’s simplicity makes it easy for overwhelmed business owners who want to save time by creating easy-to-follow routines. Users also love its attractive design and interface.
Pricing:There is a free version of the app and the premium version starts at $19.99.
TickTick
TickTick is a scheduling app that helps small business owners manage their calendars, email, lists, and tasks. The app allows you to turn emails into tasks and use voice input to do the same. You can keep track of everything by creating folders and lists, and adding special filters to make your to-do list even more personalized.
Various calendar views allow you to block time daily, weekly, or monthly. You can also subscribe to other calendar apps within the TickTick app, keeping all your agendas in one place. You can also track the time that you spend on each task and TickTick will send you achievement scores the more you complete tasks on time. A little extra motivation to stick to your time blocks.
The free version of the app is limited though and you can’t access the calendar view unless you upgrade. The app has a built-in Pomodoro timer and Eisenhower Matrix so you can integrate several of the top time management techniques into your work. You can also select any of a library of Habits and get to work on building a routine that ensures you stay on top of all the work that goes into running a business.
Pricing:TickTick has a free app that you can download onto any device. The Premium version costs $35.99 annually.
Kickstart your productivity with a time blocking app
Time blocking is considered one of the most effective time management techniques and in the world of a small business owner, every second counts. A time blocking app takes the pressure off having to sit down and manually compile your list of tasks from emails, scraps of paper, messages from employees and puts it all in one, handy app that will do the work for you.
A feature-rich app like Homebase is specifically designed with small business owners in mind and combines much more than just a calendar for scheduling. You can manage all your business needs in place, from payroll processing to team messaging. The best app is one that fits smoothly into your workflow and enhances your productivity.
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