How To Reduce Time Spent On Your Business Phone

We all know business owners who spend all day on their phones, you might be one of them. But if you're constantly taking calls and checking notifications, you're not being productive.

Often, there's a fine line between work and distraction. Fortunately, this post is for you. We look at some of the ways that you can reduce the time you're spending talking to people on the phone or just using your device. By the end of it, you'll be able to free up multiple hours per week. 

Track your current usage

The first thing you'll want to do is track your current usage. Most phones with Android or iOS include tools and facilities that allow you to do this as standard. They let you break down how much time you are spending on your phone overall and what you are doing, for example email or sending messages. If you discover that you're spending the majority of your time on social media, then it might be time to change tack. Altering how you use your phone can be a great way to get back to basics and ensure that you're running your business the way you want to. 

Use more voicemail

These days, you don't necessarily have to take calls as they come in. Many companies leverage ringless voicemail. These tools provide more flexibility, allowing you to pass calls on to other members of staff. Simply record and transcribe what's said in the voicemail and forward it in an email, or simply use AI to respond.

Tools these days are much more advanced and powerful than ever before, so there's no need to be constantly on your phone all day. That's something that was necessary ten years ago, but not now. 

Set daily limits

Many entrepreneurs take the extreme measure of setting daily limits to how much they can use their phone. This either means setting a limit for phone use in general, which often isn't practical, or simply setting a limit for how much you can use distracting apps every day. For example, entrepreneurs will often limit themselves to 30 minutes of social media use per day, allowing them to get on with other jobs. 

Make your phone less appealing

If you're somebody who's highly visual, you might want to look at ways to make your phone less appealing. A lot of people who struggle with phone addiction switch to greyscale mode, which is a setting you can find in the Accessibility tab. This helps reduce the dopamine hit that people get from colorful apps.

So if that's you, then try using it today. They also hide distracting notifications in folders often. You can continue collecting notifications, but you're not beholden to them. 

Shift your non-essential tasks to a computer

Finally, you might want to shift things like emails and social media to a computer instead of your phone. Many people find that using these tools on the computer is qualitatively different from on the phone, which is designed around distraction. You may find that you can get more work done when you're on a computer compared to using a handheld device.