Nikki Hesford: Why being ‘too busy’ is holding businesses back

Many business leaders describe themselves as “too busy”, but according to the Blackpool Growth Business Academy, that busyness often masks other tasks. Growth specialist Nikki Hesford has discussed in a recent Q&A how implementing smarter systems can create more time for growth.

Nikki said: “Too often, valuable time is spent on activities that maybe feel urgent but don’t directly contribute to growth, for example long meetings, repeated admin tasks, constant back-and-forth communication. The result is a lot of time and energy being used, but not always in the areas that make the biggest difference.”

Suggesting that meetings are among the biggest culprits, Nikki proposed that many long meetings can usually be condensed into a short call, a Loom video, or even an email. On average such inefficiencies can equate to 10-15 hours lost each week, meaning the hidden cost to productivity becomes significant for businesses.

The Academy works with businesses across Blackpool to review processes and adopt technology that improves efficiency. This can range from project management platforms that give leaders visibility of employee contributions, to AI tools that generate reports, agendas, or policies in seconds. Other popular solutions include QuickBooks for real-time financial insights, Calendly for seamless booking, and digital forms to cut down on manual data collection.

Nikki shared how the Academy’s AI masterclass is designed to show business leaders how to apply smarter systems in ways that are practical, accessible, and deliver real impact.

The Blackpool Growth Business Academy is inviting local business leaders looking to reinvest their time into growth, innovation, and stronger customer relationships to join their upcoming workshops, or contact Nikki and the team for tailored support.