CrossCheck Blog

CrossCheck Blog

Check Processing & Payments Information

Office Managers: Your Two-Minute Daily Save

Posted by Heather Brautman | Wed, Oct 23, 2013 @ 08:00 AM

SaveTime1Remember the old “Love Connection” commercial break motto – “We’ll be back in two and two?” These days, your TV can fast forward through those two minutes and two seconds.

In your work as an office manager though, you probably wish you could save those two and two (and probably a whole lot more). We designed the following tip list on how you can save two minutes’ time throughout your day. Use them for something fun and indulge yourself, after all, you’ve earned it.

  • Need a fill-up before work? Instead of hunting around your area for the lowest prices on gas, bookmark Gas Buddy or install the app. Program in your office or home location and Gas Buddy will direct you right to the cheapest gas in town.
  • Ordering lunch for the office? There’s nothing like the time waster of sitting at the restaurant waiting for your to-go order. Now, many places have call ahead (as well as special up-front parking spots just for to-go orders). Ever heard of GrubHub? Even if your office’s preferred eatery doesn’t advertise this, you can usually call in an order for pickup and it’ll be waiting for you when you arrive.
  • Fill up on cookies! No, not the edible kind. If your IT team permits, take advantage of your computers’ “cookies.” These are online backend security features that remember your information. If you’re always logging in to an office supply website, for example, checking the “Remember Me” box can save you having to enter and reenter your login information each time. In some cases, cookies will even help with remembering your last order and shipping preferences.
  • Don’t start from scratch! Each time an executive asks you for a new piece of communications, marketing material, or other collateral, do you re-generate the wheel? Don’t bother – you’ve got everything you need in your Microsoft Office Suite. With Word, Excel, PowerPoint, and Publisher, you’ve got free templates already set up for business cards, fliers, presentations, booklets, brochures, name tags, spreadsheets, invoices, forms, and more. Everything is totally customizable and changeable, but the key is, the hard part is already done for you.
  • Eat to beat time. As you hover around the office microwave for those three minutes until lunch is cooked or the coffee is reheated, consider what you can accomplish in just that short amount of time. Two to three minutes is ideal for flipping through your email, walking some files down to another desk, changing into your walking sneakers for an after-lunch breather. You’ll feel like a superhero as you multi-task.
  • Pre-night planning. In a scramble to match something in your closet to your company’s dress code? Work ahead and feel the gain. Plan your outfit the night before (or get really organized and sort out the entire week ahead over the weekend). Lay out everything from shoes to clothes to accessories, then enjoy a morning free of rushing around.
  • Stuck between a car and a home place. We’d never encourage you to take your mind off the road when you’re driving, but being stuck in traffic can actually save you time when you least expect it. You’re a captive audience, so as your car inches along, treat your mind like a Rolodex. Flip through your plans for the evening, mentally sorting out what you’ll need for dinner’s ingredients, where they’re located in your kitchen, and what else you’ll need to do to close out your night successfully. Then when you triumphantly arrive at home, you’ll already know your plan of attack. Don't forget about audible books either.
  • Streamline your check verification process. Every single check you accept at your business can take you far longer than two minutes each. Add those together and you’re spending days of time. Implementing a standard check guarantee service means seconds, not days. You get an answer almost immediately and get back all that time you’d spend waiting, traveling to the bank, and waiting on deposited funds.

Wow! Now that you’ve got so much time back in your day, reward yourself for your savvy efforts. Spend some of that newly found time by enjoying our free downloadable eBook we created just for Office Managers, the Office Manager Cookbook. It includes 9 no-bake recipes to soothe the soul. Start the feast here:

office manager tips

Written by Heather Brautman