High tech tools such as Wi-Fi laptops, keychain hard drives, and email-linked cell phones may be keeping Canadian small businesses wired into their working world, but when it comes to managing time and productivity, 58% of small business owners still rely on the humble to-do list.

That’s one of the findings from RBC Royal Bank’s 2006 Small Business Survey, conducted by Ipsos Reid, which was released today. Other methods mentioned most often by small business owners to save time or run their businesses as efficiently as possible include online banking services (60%), accounting software (38%), and communication technology (35%).

“Small business owners may well be creating and storing their ‘to do’ lists on computers or cell phones, but it’s interesting to see something as straightforward as the to-do list rising to the top,” said Kristina Depencier, national manager, small business, RBC Royal Bank.

However, knowing what needs to be accomplished, and actually getting that work done, continues to be the challenge. “More than one-third (36%) of the small business owners who participated in our survey told us they would like to be spending more time attracting new clients. Almost that same number (32%) indicated that time-drainers such as administrative and computer information/technology tasks are taking up too much of each working day,” Depencier said.

Ideally, the small business owners surveyed indicated, they wanted to spend over two-thirds (67%) of each week attracting new clients, while in reality they admitted they were only spending less than half (47%) of their week doing so. Similar “reality” gaps were noticeable when it came to developing their business network, their business skills, and planning for the future.