Email is a handy business tool. Users can communicate with clients, employees and set up meetings conveniently. However, email can also stand in the way of productivity.

In this post, we cover three easy ways to maintain your email inbox. It shows you how to manage emails by reducing clutter to a minimum.

Set a Time for Email

Here’s the deal.

Most entrepreneurs make the mistake of leaving their email programmes open all day. The beeps and flashes distract them, impacting their productivity negatively.

For instance, the average CEO receives upwards of 100 emails a day. That’s 100 beeps. And, most of these messages will require more than a simple reply. Some of them require consultation, which takes even more time.

As a rule, set a time to read and reply to emails. It can be once an hour, or three times a day. Whichever you choose, be sure to stick to it, and you’ll notice an increase in your productivity.

Organize Your Inbox with Labels, Folders and Categories

Organizing your inbox can save you from a lot of trouble. The last thing you want is to miss an important email from a client or supplier.

To begin with, group your messages into similar categories. There can be a waiting folder that contains all your action pending emails and an archive folder that holds crucial email chains. This organisation makes it easy to retrieve older messages, saving time in the process.

Unsubscribe to Unwanted Promotional Emails

Promotional emails are the number one cause of junk in your inbox. If you can manage to weed out the nonessential ones, your virtual mailbox should be cleaner and easier to manage. As a rule, unsubscribe to any emails that try to sell something continuously.

The Bottom Line?

Answering your emails might be vital for business, but so is your productivity. So, use these tips to find the balance.