No business got anywhere without having proper structure and organization. This is pretty much true of any segment of our lives really, business especially. When you business runs chaotically there isn’t much to plan or do, but you basically sit around and wait to see how things will play out, hoping they’ll turn out just the way you want them to. So, it’s time to you took matters in your hands and did a little bit of organizing.
Organizing small businesses is even easier than organizing big ones as there is less paperwork and less things to worry about – not that all of them aren’t important, far from it! In fact, to become a big company one day you need to start small and with a proper structure – you are on a good way to become great.
If you consider yourself one of those people who has no natural skill to organize things, I’ll give my best to give you some helpful advice on where to start and how to do things.
Organize Your Paper Files
Looking for paper files scattered all around your office is probably one of the biggest time consumers in the business world! You remember putting a certain file at a certain place in a given moment in time yet now when you need it, it simply isn’t there! Let me tell you a secret – you probably never put it there but wanted to, yet something interrupted you and you forgot.
So, to put an end to this search for files madness, organize your filing cabinets so you always know where something is. Label them with different color stickers, each named after a type of file they’re holding. It’ll take some time at first to get accustomed to put things where they should be but you’ll get used to it, everyone does.
E-mails and computers
Blessed be e-mails and computers! They not only make our communication faster and easier but they’re a great way to hold important information guarded.
Try getting rid of all unnecessary printed materials and have them stored in your computer. Also, suggest your clients you switch to e-mail communication instead of sending lengthy reports printed out on tons of papers. This way you are saving the environment and your time to find that one piece of paper you need when you need it!
Also, instead of printing out all presentations, reports, documents, etc – keep them filed in your computer and print them out only when necessary.
Further, ditch all paper receipts and other paper trails you don’t need but keep for “just in case” situations. You simply don’t need them. Remember all receipts are valid for up to a year.
By housing files in the cloud, you can help clean up your personal storage, as well as save valuable time spent emailing documents back and forth when collaborating with others.
Tame Your Inbox
Clean it! Usually, we all get so overwhelmed with work we tend to neglect the inbox that’s become a catchall for every email ever sent! Delete all emails you don’t need and set your inbox mail by importance. Mange your received mails so you only see the messages you still need to deal with. All other mail will be archived for safe keeping.
Next, unsubscribe to newsletters or random subscriptions you no longer read. This way you’ll tame the level of new emails you get each day. It’s also possible to create a folder where non-essential emails go automatically.
Get the Right Note-Taking Tool
Having the right solution for jotting down any inspirations or tasks when they strike is probably one of the main keys to staying organized and effective. So, keep a pen and paper, sticky notes on your computer, your smartphone or any app you find useful close so you can write down ideas when they strike!
Get educated
When you are running a business, whether it’s a small or a big one, you need to keep upgrading your knowledge on current trends and happenings in your line of business. If your budget allows it, see for your best employees to attend seminars and courses with your so you can team up and work on improving every segment of your business. Once you build proper structure to your business, organizing your work place will be the least of your problems.
Organizing a business isn’t anything you should take too seriously. Once you approach to matter of organizing stuff lightly and see it as the way to improve your business and not a chore – things will flow easier!
