4 Time-Saving Tools For Booked & Busy Business Owners
Tools To Help Business Owners Manage Their Time Better
There’s a certain kind of business owner time warp that happens when you’re juggling a dozen things at once.
You sit down to handle “just one quick email,” and suddenly it’s three hours later, your coffee is cold, and somehow, you’re busier than ever but still didn’t touch the things that actually matter.
This isn’t about working harder or being more productive. It’s about how much time is getting stolen by things you shouldn’t even be doing.
The reality is, most business owners don’t have a time management problem—they have a “what the hell happened to my time?” problem. You’re not drowning because you don’t have the right planner or morning routine. You’re drowning because too much of your time is being spent on things that could be automated, streamlined, or skipped entirely.
I’ve helped interior designers, copywriters, and website designers save themselves literally 5+ hours a week (or 200+ hours a year!) by fixing systems that slowed them down.
And when you’re running a business, those extra hours aren’t just time saved—they’re fewer late nights, less burnout, and more space to focus on the work you enjoy and the projects that bring you more revenue.
So where is your time going? And more importantly, how do you get it back?
Where’s Your Time Going? A Quick Time Management Audit for Business Owners
Before we talk about time-saving tools, let’s figure out where your time is going. Because the real problem usually isn’t a lack of time. It’s how much of it gets eaten up by things you don’t even realize are slowing you down.
That’s why I created the Time to Profit Calculator—a free tool that shows exactly how much of your workweek is being spent on things that aren’t making you money.
For a quick check, try this 4-step audit:
- Track your time – Write down everything you do in a typical workday.
- Spot time wasters – Highlight anything repetitive, manual, or unnecessary.
- Decide what to delegate or automate – If it doesn’t need you, find a better way.
- Map out your new free time – What would you do with five extra hours a week?
Let’s say you spend 3 hours each week on client emails (scheduling calls, sending invoices, checking in, and reminding them to provide feedback). That’s something canned emails and automation could take off your plate completely.
Not sure what’s a time waster and what’s worth your time? I’ve got you covered.
3 Of The Biggest Time Sucks For Business Owners
Some time-wasters are obvious—like scrolling Instagram when you should be working. Others? Not so much. They sneak into your schedule disguised as necessary tasks, stealing hours before you even realize what’s happening.
According to Forbes, here are three of the biggest time offenders:
- Unnecessary Meetings
Check-ins that could’ve been an email, answering the same client questions over and over, or last-minute bookings that throw off your day—meetings can easily take over your schedule. And when they drag on without a clear agenda, you lose even more time. - Multitasking
You need to respond to an email, update a project, apply a payment, and do actual client work…all at the same time. But switching between tasks slows you down and makes everything take longer than it should. - Micromanaging
Whether it’s a VA or a junior team member, you’re hovering over their work instead of trusting they can handle it. Without clear systems in place, delegation feels more like extra work than actual support.
These three time-sucks aren’t just annoying. They’re costing you hours every week. The good news? They can all be fixed with the right time-saving tools in place.
4 Time-Saving Tools For Booked & Busy Business Owners
Now that we’ve covered where your time is disappearing, let’s talk about getting it back. Because the real problem isn’t that you’re “bad at time management.” It’s that too much of your day is slipping into things that shouldn’t need your attention in the first place.
The right time-saving tools make sure work moves forward without stalling, bouncing back to you, or turning into yet another thing you have to double-check.
#1 Dubsado - Automate Admin Work & Client Communication
If client admin is eating up half your day, Dubsado is about to be your new best friend.
It automates invoices, contracts, canned emails, and scheduling, so you’re not stuck in an endless loop of follow-ups and paperwork. Imagine a world where clients sign contracts the first time you send them. That’s the magic of a system that remembers to follow up for you.
Pair it with Zapier, and you can automatically create tasks in Asana when a new client books. Or send a Loom video in your onboarding email to make the process feel high-touch without an extra meeting!
#2 Asana - Keep Projects & Your Team On Track
Forgetting what needs to be done? Wondering where a project stands? Getting pinged by your team for updates? That’s what Asana fixes.
Asana keeps everything in one place, so instead of drowning in email threads and Slack messages, you know what’s happening at a glance.
And when it works with Dubsado, your projects automatically update as clients move through your workflow. No more manually copying info between tools, no more “Wait, did I tell Jane about that?” moments.
#3 Loom - Cut Down On Meetings & Add A Personal Touch
Some things are easier to show than explain. Loom lets you record quick videos instead of scheduling another meeting or typing out a long email so you can cut back on calls without losing the personal touch.
Use it for website walkthroughs, team updates, or welcome videos that make your process feel more high-touch without adding extra work. And when embedded in a Dubsado email, it makes onboarding feel personal without an extra Zoom invite
#4 Zapier - Connect Your Tools & Automate The Gaps
The more tools you use, the more time you waste jumping between them to keep everything updated. Zapier fixes that by automating what happens between your apps, so things get done without you moving information around manually.
Need a new Asana task when a client books in Dubsado? Zapier can handle that. Want invoices to update in your accounting software the second they’re paid? Done. It keeps your systems in sync, so you’re not constantly playing tech support.
Time Management for Business Owners Isn’t Just About the Right Time-Saving Tools
Finding time-saving tools is the easy part. Almost too easy. There’s an app for everything, and it’s tempting to think that downloading the right one will magically fix your workflow.
But tools don’t run your business—systems do.
The real challenge isn’t picking software. It’s knowing how to optimize your workflow, integrate these tools into your daily operations, and make sure everything works together seamlessly. That’s what actually saves you time and it’s exactly what we do in a VIP Week.
In one week, I’ll review your client experience and systems, set up your entire Dubsado (and Asana if needed!), and provide you with additional training so you can start running your business with less effort and less wasted time.
