Follow this article and learn to spot those hidden moments of free time and how to get the most out of them.
Guess what? You actually have more free time then you’d think. But it doesn’t come in large chunks of time as you’d expect. For most, these pockets of time are 15 to 20 minutes long.
When smaller bits of unexpected time present themselves, it’s easy to get sucked into a YouTube video or social media feed. Instead, what you need to do is compile a list of quick but helpful things to do that you can accomplish during those short breaks.
These things should take no more than 15 to 20 minutes to accomplish. Most are proactive, business-building to-dos that you might not ever get around to.
Here are a few suggestions of things you can do to make sure your time is not wasted and that your focus is always on improving and growing your practice.
Stay Up To Date
Don’t let yourself get left behind when it comes to marketing or design features. Take some of the spare few minutes you find per day and read an industry blog article or watch a presentation video on new email marketing techniques. This will ensure you’re staying on top of the latest business development trends and that your firm does not start to look dated.
Get to Networking
While you might not be able to go to a networking event in 20 minutes, what you can do is schedule a networking event. Search for local events online or look on social media for upcoming networking opportunities and use your little pocket of time to schedule them on your calendar. This will not only help to ensure your firm keeps growing but may result in some quick new business too!
Schedule Social Posts
As a solo or small firm lawyer, you are your brand. In a market compelled by the need to be socially connected, it damages your personal brand if you don’t have a social presence.
When you have some free minutes, you can schedule social posts to be published at a later date, allowing you to schedule all your post for a week, or the month, in one sitting. This helps busy lawyers maintain an active social presence even when they are busy practicing.
Follow up with Leads/Referral Sources
You might be the best networker in the world, but if you don’t have a solid follow up system then you are going to struggle to build powerful and beneficial leads and referral sources. I make it a rule to reach out to everyone on my referral list at least once a quarter. The follow-up doesn’t have to take long or be complex. It can be an email, phone call, or sending them a useful article.
Write New Content
Take this time to write a blog article or social posts for your practice. This process will go hand in hand with improving SEO. Take a few minutes and add to some content that you have already started, or if you’re a quick writer, you might be able to write an entire article. This will keep your site looking fresh and hopefully draw in new visitors as well.
