Musings on Busywork
My name is John Hayes, and I’m a really busy guy. Busy procrastinating most of the time. You wouldn’t believe how many unessential tasks I had to complete before sitting down and writing this article. Those sales reports and emails don’t check themselves. Yep, I’ve been busy. Busy doing nothing.
We’ve all had one of those days where we feel like we’ve been incredibly “busy” – but can’t quite put our finger on what we actually accomplished. Maybe we spent three hours answering emails, another two fiddling with a spreadsheet no one asked for, and another hour in a meeting that could have been an email or WhatsApp message. At the end of it all, the to-do list somehow got longer, not shorter.
Welcome to the wonderful, time-sapping world of busywork. This is the professional equivalent of treading water and the real reason why you’re drowning in work.
What Is Busywork, Anyway?
Busywork is the art of appearing productive without actually making any significant progress. It’s the constant checking of your inbox, the unnecessary tweaking of PowerPoint slides, and the pointless reformatting of documents. It’s the time-consuming tasks that seem important but don’t contribute to your actual work.
It masquerades as productivity, but it delivers little value. And in the high-stakes world of small business, especially here in Gibraltar, it can be the silent killer of growth, creativity, and sanity.
Classic Examples of Busywork
Let’s break it down. Here are a few prime suspects:
- The Never-Ending Meeting: A regular 30-minute catch-up becomes a two-hour debate about absolutely nothing of importance.
- Hint: If a meeting doesn’t have an agenda, it doesn’t have a purpose. Cancel it, or just don’t go.
- Email Tennis: Endless back-and-forths trying to arrange a meeting no one really needs.
- Hint: Pick up the phone and speak to your colleagues instead.
- Spreadsheet Olympics: Updating data just because “it’s always been done this way.”
- Hint: If your business has invested in a CRM system, accounting software, or marketing automation technology, a spreadsheet is downright dangerous and will never provide accurate details.
- Overreporting: Creating reports to justify creating more reports.
- Hint: Again, all of the information anyone in your business needs should be readily available in your various software systems. Train your team to use them properly.
- DIY Distractions: Doing admin, tidying the marketing cupboard, or fixing the office printer when someone else could (and should) be doing it.
- Hint: Don’t get us wrong, some admin is essential. But when small business owners start confusing motion with progress, that’s when trouble starts brewing.
Busywork Is Bad for Business
Running a small business is no easy feat. With tight-knit markets, limited resources, and the need to wear multiple hats (sometimes all at once), your time is your most valuable asset.
Busywork, however, robs you of that time. And the costs add up:
- Time Drain: You’re spending hours on tasks that don’t generate revenue or drive the business forward.
- Productivity Paralysis: When everyone’s drowning in “stuff,” innovation and creativity get shoved to the bottom of the pile.
- Burnout Central: Constant busywork can lead to chronic stress, fatigue, and eventual burnout.
- Missed Opportunities: You can’t chase new business when you’re chasing down petty admin.
What’s the answer?
Now that we’ve diagnosed the problem, let’s talk about the cure. The good news? It’s easier than you think. Here are a few practical tips that can help you ditch the busy and focus on the work that really matters.
- Prioritise Like a Pro: Not all tasks are created equal. Focus on the big-ticket items that move your business forward and stop wasting time on the low-impact fluff.
- Delegate or Outsource: Here’s a truth bomb: just because you can do something, doesn’t mean you should. Hire a freelancer to handle bookkeeping. Bring in a VA to manage customer emails. You’ll be surprised how much headspace you free up when you stop trying to do everything yourself.
- Automate the Mundane: From automated invoicing and scheduling tools to social media planners and CRM systems, there’s no shortage of affordable tech out there to take the grunt work off your hands. Embrace it. Let the robots do the busywork while you focus on growing your business.
- Review and Reset Regularly: Make it a habit to audit your weekly tasks. What felt productive but didn’t deliver results? What can be eliminated or delegated next week? Constant reflection is key to escaping the busywork loop.
- Set Clear Boundaries: Just because your phone buzzes at 9 pm doesn’t mean you have to respond. Set work hours, enforce them, and respect your own time. This is a powerful step towards a healthier work-life balance, leading to a more energised and focused workday.
On doing better…
Reducing busywork doesn’t mean doing less – it means doing better. It means clearing the clutter to focus on what truly matters: serving your customers, building your brand, and making your business the best it can be. And when you ditch the illusion of busyness, you gain something far more valuable: clarity, creativity, and the capacity to grow. So, the next time you catch yourself deep in the weeds of a colour-coded spreadsheet that nobody asked for, ask yourself: Is this the best use of my time? Because in business, and in life, meaningful progress always beats mindless motion.
SHARE THIS
OTHER
If, like me, you spend more time than you should doom scrolling LinkedIn, you could be tempted into thinking no-one fails. LinkedIn has become a hyperbolic haven and a place to scream and shout about success. But what about failures - why aren’t we talking about them? In business, failure is inevitable. I mean it. Whether it's a product flop, a marketing misstep, or a company on the brink of collapse, every entrepreneur will face moments that test them. Yet, history has shown that these failures can often be the starting point for something extraordinary.
Success doesn’t just happen; it’s built on a strong foundation of preparation, clarity, and taking consistent action. Whether you’re launching a new business, taking your current side-hustle full-time, or looking to scale in a competitive market, having the right plan in place is essential.
For many businesses, standing out from the crowd in an already crowded marketplace is a mammoth task. But for Fresquita one of the ways they tackled this issue was with highly creative packaging.
The world of work is undergoing a significant transformation, driven by the accelerating capabilities of Generative AI. While robots taking over our jobs might be a sci-fi trope, AI’s ability to learn, create, and automate tasks is undeniably impacting various industries. Generative AI is the umbrella term used to describe the type of AI that can create new content and ideas. This can include text, images, music, code and other types of content. We are now seeing how powerful this tool can be. But is this a threat or a powerful tool waiting to be harnessed? We set out to find out, what does the use of Generative AI look like in Gibraltar?
Two decades is a long time for any business - with all the strife that businesses large and small have had to endure these past four years, it seems that anxiety among business owners has never been higher. I recently had the pleasure of chatting with Garren Thompson, co-owner and co-founder of Gibraltar hair & beauty salon Miss Shapes, based on Bishop Rapallo’s Ramp. As the business recently hit the 20-year milestone, we discussed the highs and lows of creating a successful salon in a saturated market, how he and his team created their new range of Miss Shapes branded Hair & Beauty products and how this will help build success for another 20 years.
Corporate Social Responsibility is no longer just for big companies. Small and medium-sized businesses are making a real impact through practical, authentic actions that reflect who they are. From supporting sport, culture and charities to rolling up sleeves for environmental projects, consistent CSR builds trust, loyalty and pride. When businesses show up for their community in meaningful ways, those efforts are noticed and often returned.
2 mins |
Business Plan Essentials
You have a brilliant idea. You can picture the logo, the customers, maybe even the first sale. But without a clear plan for how to get there, the idea risks staying exactly that - an idea. Starting a business without a plan is like setting off on a trip with no map. You might eventually arrive somewhere, but it is unlikely to be where you hoped. A business plan is not just paperwork. When written with care, it is a roadmap that guides every decision, a pitch that wins support, and a source of confidence on the days when challenges mount.
Whether you’re an ebook tapper or traditional page turner, there are thousands of books that can make you better at business. Áine Panter, Head of the School of Business at the University of Gibraltar has curated a list of must-reads that will inspire, inform, and equip you for success.
Love is big business. According to official statistics, 1,745 weddings took place in Gibraltar in 2021 followed by another 1,761 weddings in 2022 and a further 1640 in 2023. That’s around 33 weddings each week or 6 every single day. With an estimated population of around 33,000, it’s safe to say that, no, we aren’t all marrying each other, but that Gibraltar is a very popular place for many people to come and say ‘I do’. In fact, in all three years, non-residents outnumbered residents by an average of 90% to 10%. The stats point to a healthy wedding sector, one that our Minister for Tourism, Christian Santos is keen to develop. In an interview with the Gibraltar Chronicle he recently said he wanted; “Gibraltar to be the Las Vegas of Europe” when it comes to weddings. Unlike Vegas, we don’t have Elvis. But we do have John. Music legend John Lennon famously married Yoko Ono here in 1969 and put the Rock on the map for ‘Fast Track’ weddings. If music’s not your thing, acting legend Sean Connery (AKA James Bond) also tied the knot here (twice)!
In business, we often concentrate on the what and how of an enterprise.
AI is poised to reshape the legal profession, with 31% of law firm leaders predicting major disruption by 2025. Scott Simmons explores how AI could improve client outcomes, streamline workflows, and drive value. Whether you’re cautious or curious, it’s time to explore AI’s potential.
The Treaty between the EU and the UK over Gibraltar is finally giving us some clarity, and yet, it also reminds us just how much sits outside our control. The finer details will take months to surface. Political tides may shift. Promises will be tested by practicalities. Every day, we face issues beyond our reach: new legislation, competitor actions, market trends, customer behaviour, staff turnover, illness, family responsibilities, global events. All of it lives in what Stephen Covey calls the Circle of Concern - things we care about, but cannot directly change. The more we fixate on them, the more frustration can grow.
We’ve said it before and it’s only getting louder: AI is reshaping how businesses work. From chatbots and smart analytics to automated content and decision-making tools, AI is helping smaller firms punch well above their weight. But with that power comes responsibility. As AI use grows, so do the risks around data privacy, and under GDPR, getting it wrong can mean serious fines and lasting reputational damage.
Finding time to sit down with a book can feel like a luxury sometimes. We seem to be pulled in all sorts of directions, yet many of us still want to learn and stay exposed to new ideas. Podcasts have filled part of that gap. They’re accessible, conversational and easy to consume while commuting or […]
Gibraltar has long been home to many international businesses. Gaming giants, UK-based insurance companies and far-flung fintech firms are all drawn here thanks to our strategic location and business-friendly environment. Carl Clavering moved his insurance business to Gibraltar, and it’s safe to say, it’s transformed his life. When I caught up with Carl, it was clear that his decision to relocate wasn't just about tax advantages or access to the UK market —it was about finding a place that felt like home, both for his business and his family.
Gibraltar’s size means that shoppers don’t have too far to go to shop. Schools, supermarkets, entertainment, eateries and healthcare are all within easy reach. That hasn’t stopped Gibraltar's business community from wanting to meet its customers' needs online. I met three local businesses that have embraced eCommerce.
In an increasingly digital work environment where we have more emails, WhatsApp messages & interruptions than ever before, many business leaders started looking at ways of alleviating the stress that comes with this increased workload. Relaxing the dress code and letting your team dress down and wear in more casual clothing is one way of doing this….Or is it?
Imposter syndrome is a psychological behaviour where individuals, including many high achievers, struggle with persistent feelings of self-doubt, inadequacy, or the fear of being exposed as a fraud. Despite their achievements, those experiencing imposter syndrome believe they are undeserving of their success or worry that they've misled others into overestimating their abilities.
As the CEO of a specialist security business called Paladin Defence and close protection operative/ private security contractor, I have experienced security threats of all types since 1990. From opportunistic personal attacks to targeted organised commercial crime, I feel there is a lot more we should be doing to defend and protect ourselves. Understandably, Gibraltar is considered to have a relatively low crime rate; but what are the realistic threats and risks to small businesses in our corner of the Mediterranean?
There’s something slightly uncomfortable about sending a contract to a client when you run a small business. Especially in Gibraltar, where relationships matter and business often begins with a conversation over un cafelito rather than a legal document. When you know someone personally, or you’ve been introduced by a mutual contact, it can feel unnecessary to formalise everything. You tell yourself that an email thread is enough. Or that you’ll sort the paperwork later. I used to think like that. Over time, and through a few situations that were more stressful than they needed to be, I’ve realised that putting things in writing isn’t about distrust. It’s about creating guardrails for growth. The clearer the boundaries, the freer you are to focus on doing good work.