Running a drilling business can feel like juggling multiple balls in the air—day-to-day operations, business improvements, tracking metrics, and marketing all demand your attention. When I attended the 2024 South Atlantic Jubilee, I heard multiple drilling business owners discussing the difficulties with work-life balance, daily operations, and trying to find time to market their companies when their project calendar is booked—and I get it. 

It’s no small feat to keep everything in balance, and without a strategic approach, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed. However, with the right time management techniques, you can streamline your tasks, focus on what matters most, and even carve out time for strategic growth and innovation. Below are some time management strategies to help you seize every day with focus, dedication, and success in mind! 

1. Prioritize and Plan Your Day

The first step to effective time management is prioritization. Start each day with a clear plan. Identify the most critical tasks that need your immediate attention—these are usually the ones that directly impact your business’s bottom line or have pressing deadlines. Once you’ve identified these, block out specific times in your day to focus on these tasks without distractions.

While it may be difficult, I recommend starting your day in the office at your computer, navigating these elements of your business before you hit the job site with your team. This is how you can ensure your profits and metrics are improving without getting lost in your work. 

Tip: Use tools like Trello or Asana (Asana is what we use internally at The Driller) to organize your tasks. These platforms allow you to break down projects into manageable steps and keep track of your progress. You can manage your day-to-day operations as a list, a timeline, or in calendar view to really optimize for your own comfort. 

2. Delegate and Outsource

As a business owner, it’s tempting to try and do everything yourself. However, this can quickly lead to burnout. As Theodore Roosevelt once said, "The best executive is the one who has sense enough to pick good people to do what he wants done, and self-restraint enough to keep from meddling with them while they do it." 

Delegating tasks to your team not only frees up your time but also empowers your employees by trusting them with important responsibilities. For tasks outside your team’s expertise—such as specialized marketing or administrative work—consider outsourcing. While you may not be a marketing expert, marketing your company is essential, and this is where working with a qualified digital marketing agency comes into play. This allows you to focus on running your business while experts handle your branding, lead generation, and online presence.

3. Implement Efficient Systems

Efficiency is key in a busy drilling operation. Implementing systems and workflows that streamline processes can save you time and reduce errors. Whether it’s a project management system, a customer relationship management (CRM) tool, or accounting software, investing in the right tools can make your operations more efficient.

Just as you invest in drilling equipment, PPE, drilling resources, and transportation, it's time you invest in the other side of your company—your business model!

Tip: Regularly review and update these systems to ensure they’re still meeting your needs. Sometimes, small tweaks can lead to significant time and profit savings.

4. Track and Analyze Metrics

To run your business effectively, you need to know what’s working and what isn’t. Regularly track key metrics such as project timelines, budget adherence, and customer satisfaction. This data will help you make informed decisions and identify areas for improvement. While we do intend to cover the metrics a business owner should be tracking in a future article, here is a good guide on business metrics for small business owners to use in the meantime! 

Example: Set aside a specific time each week to review these metrics. This ensures you’re always on top of your business’s performance and can adjust your strategies as needed. You may want to have your leads involved in these meetings as well, as they can provide key insights into these metrics from the job site. 

5. Schedule Time for Strategic Planning

While managing the day-to-day is crucial, don’t forget to set aside time for strategic planning. This is when you can focus on long-term goals, business improvements, and growth opportunities. Without this time, it’s easy to get caught up in the daily grind and lose sight of the bigger picture. I recommend adding this to your metrics tracking meeting each week so you can look at where you are and where you want to be all at once alongside the key players in your team. 

6. Stay Flexible and Adapt

No matter how well you plan, unexpected challenges will arise. The key is to stay flexible and adapt as needed. Build some buffer time into your schedule to handle emergencies or unforeseen tasks without derailing your entire day. Using a digital calendar allows for easy adjustments, and you can even set time for yourself and silence the calendar after-hours to improve your work-life balance. If something urgent comes up, you can quickly reschedule less critical tasks without losing track of them as well, which is key to effective management and balancing.

Work Smarter, Not Harder

It's no secret: managing a drilling business is a complex, demanding job, but with the right time management strategies, you can keep all aspects of your business running smoothly. It all comes down to a system that works for you and your team seamlessly.

Prioritize tasks, delegate when possible, and use tools and systems to your advantage. By working smarter, not harder, you can achieve a balance that allows you to manage daily operations, pursue improvements, track key metrics, and market your business effectively—all while still having time to plan for the future!

Remember, time is your most valuable resource. Use it wisely, and your business will thrive.