Running a business is tough enough without wasting time reinventing the wheel every week. Below are two simple but powerful strategies you can use to free up time, and you can use technology you probably already have. Often, you’ll see these blog posts titled “2 EASY ways…”, but note that we didn’t do that. These are not tactical tech “tips” so much as principles you need to build into your business approach, if you have not done so already. That said, it is easy to get started with these, and they will make a big difference in time-savings as you progress. 

1. Develop SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures)

If you haven’t already, now is the time to start documenting your Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Focus first on the 20% of tasks that drive 80% of your results. 

Why It Matters: 

Think about routine tasks you or your staff perform like hosting webinars, onboarding a new client, processing invoices, or providing a particular service. Without a defined process, you’re wasting time (and maybe even making mistakes). Even worse, you’re reliant on institutional memory instead of a repeatable system. 

Let me give you a real-world example: 

Last year, our well pump failed. The local service company we called has a very good reputation and was prompt, but the junior techs they sent out hadn’t seen our issue before. When they called their lead technician, he immediately knew what to do.  But he had to drive out to guide them. A 15-minute job turned into a two-truck operation, doubling the labor investment on our issue.   

Imagine if that lead tech had recorded a quick explainer video and stored it on a shared drive or internal knowledge base. Future teams could watch it on the way to the job and solve the problem independently. 

Tools to Help: 

Today’s automation tools—like Make, Zapier, or even Microsoft’s Power Automate—can help you create systems around these SOPs. Whether it’s triggering reminders, sending updates to communications channels, or automatically saving files to the right folder, these tools reduce manual tasks and standardize execution. 

That said, be smart: learning these tools takes time. If your team is already overloaded, factor in the learning curve before going all-in. 

However, you do not need complicated or new tools! Even simple documentation (typed up in Word, organized in OneNote, or recorded as a screen capture) can yield major time savings, and in reality is the best way to start.  Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. Once you get the hang of it, you may decide a more robust tool would help a lot.  But initially, start small.  Build the SOP-creation habit now, and you’ll thank yourself later.  

2. Improve Knowledge Management

Let’s say your team does have SOPs. Great! But what happens when someone says, “It’s saved in the SharePoint,” and no one can find it? Or when files are split between OneDrive, hard drives, and Google Docs—and nobody knows what’s current? 

This kind of knowledge chaos becomes a real problem during turnover, growth, or audits. We’ve seen it firsthand with our clients. Organizations have a key admin or “single department” employee transition out, and then come weeks of finding files, moving folders, and untangling access controls. 

Shift to a Learning Organization 

Good knowledge management ensures your business doesn’t forget what it already knows. Instead of starting from scratch, your team should build on previous solutions, learning, and content. 

Here’s what good knowledge management looks like: 

  • Consistency – Everyone saves files in the same place (e.g., a designated SharePoint folder, not “wherever it’s convenient”). 
  • Access Controls – Not everyone needs access to everything. Segment sensitive information with proper permission settings. 
  • Tool Training – It’s not enough to have the tools. Make sure your team knows how to use them. Take something as simple as version history in Word: if your team regularly edits documents, this feature prevents overwriting and confusion. 

The same principle above applies here: don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good.  Start small and build knowledge management into your organization.  Trying to bite everything off at one time will be overwhelming, and will discourage you from working efficiently. 

Bonus Tip: 

Encourage your team to use tagging or metadata. In Microsoft 365, SharePoint, and OneDrive support tagging, which makes content easier to search later. You’ll spend less time hunting through folders and more time doing actual work. 

Final Thoughts 

None of this is rocket science, but it does require intention. SOPs and effective knowledge management don’t just save time; they also reduce stress, improve training, and keep your business humming during transitions or growth. Best of all, these strategies can often be executed with tools you already pay for MS 365. 

If you’re feeling overwhelmed by cluttered systems and reinvented processes, start simple and start small. Win back your time.