I wake up on a Monday morning, with a to-do list buzzing in my head. I'm hoping to get some really solid work done through the week - like finalizing the strategic plan for the next year, initiating meetings with financiers, and oh yes, finally preparing a vision document... that's been in the making for the last few years, because I never got around to it.

I trudge back late Friday evening, weary with the activities of the past week. Funnily enough, I can't recall what I've achieved (am not sure if a longer to-do list counts!), but am tired as hell.

Sure, that's a familiar story - but we're about to give it a happy ending. With so much technology at hand, the life of the business owner just got simpler. Read our suggestions on how to ease your life.

Get the right hardware. You might not believe us at first, but juggling between different, stand alone computers can really eat into precious action time. Think of the sheer effort involved in making back up copies of documents on individual CDs, cataloguing them and putting them someplace safe. A server will ease your life by allowing quick access to files stored on different machines. If you haven't got one yet, it's time to enter the twenty first century!

Follow that up with software. How many checks do you sign in a day? If you don't have adequate accounting staff, are you reviewing the bills, making the vouchers, updating the accounts yourself? No wonder you have no time for anything.

Accounting software packages not only automate the bill payment process, but can also generate invoices, track late payments, put out alerts, generate reports and so on.

Similarly, payroll management software can be a real help when you have a large number of people working for you. A comprehensive package can ease your life by managing scheduling, keeping track of hours worked by individual employees, maintaining the attendance register and more.

You can also issue a mandate to your bank to pay out routine bills for utilities, salaries and so on by debiting your account. Think of all the time, energy and paper saved!

Put your website to good use. Don't have one yet? Well, get one as soon as you can. A website can save both time and money and ease your life in the process. If you're attending to a number of routine customer queries, direct them to the FAQ section on your site. If you're wasting time screening a pile of resumes, ask candidates to apply online instead. By building in filters on your website, you can make sure that only the relevant ones come up for perusal.

Also consider completing as many activities online as possible - this includes managing your bank accounts, filing taxes, placing orders and so on.

Pick up the phone! Yes, you heard us right. Pick up the phone, but for the right reasons. If routine review meetings hold up other activities, because you're not physically present to attend to them, switch to a tele or video conference. It's a fact that physical meetings waste a lot of time - so if you have to meet with a known group of people to discuss regular issues, do it long distance instead.

While all of the above technologies will ease your life, we'll leave you with a little warning. It's equally easy to fall prey to them. Make sure the "new message" alert in your inbox doesn't distract you during a meeting... or checking your voice mail doesn't become an obsession. A lot of the really important things you need to do at work require your time and attention and not technology to get done. Set aside some part of each day when you unhook all your gadgets and plug in your mind. Friday evenings will be a lot happier, we assure you!