“In business, organization is an absolute necessity, not an alternative.” – Larry Burkett
Keeping your business organized will help you achieve success faster because you will not be constantly wasting time and effort trying to make sense of a mess.
There is nothing worse than sitting down to do focused work and realizing you do not know where your notes are… or you cannot remember whether you replied to an email or not.
Let us look at a few ways you can keep your business organized…
- Have a dedicated workspace
This is especially true if you are working from home. Have a desk at a fixed spot (preferably isolated) and only work here. This will train your mind to be ready for work once you sit down at the desk… and your family members will know not to disturb you.
2. Make sure your workspace is tidy
Create a system where your work is organized. You may use files and folders. Or an online app to stay organized and so on. Whatever it is, you must know where things are so that you do not need to search.
When you are working, you want to enter a state of flow. You cannot do that if you are disorganized and your workflow becomes disjointed because your system is messy.
3. Declutter
Less is more, especially at your desk. Only keep what is necessary and what you use often in front of you. You may even wish to declutter the entire house if it helps you attain higher mental clarity.
You can also declutter digitally. Empty your email inboxes of all unnecessary emails. Unsubscribe from irrelevant newsletters. Have a tidy inbox that doesn’t overwhelm you.
Your computer desktop should only have a few items. Organize your folders and files so that you know exactly where everything is. Delete items you no longer need. If you are worried that you might need them in the future, then save them on an external hard drive.
4. Automate and delegate
Automate whatever tasks you can. This will mean less work you need to keep track of. Other tasks that cannot be automated can be delegated. You may wish to hire someone to help you… or if you are running an online business, you can outsource your work to freelancers on sites like Fiverr or Upwork.
An important point to note: some tasks are crucial to your business and will require you to monitor and execute them.
For example, you may run a consulting business and have high-paying clients who chat with you on the phone once a week. They are paying you for your advice and time.
You would not want to hire someone else to do this job while you run off for a game of golf. Some tasks have your name written all over them – and you must do them yourself.
5. Bookkeeping and taxes
If you will not hire a professional to do them for you, make sure you do them yourself regularly. Do not wait for the responsibilities to pile up and then start scrambling when there’s no time left. The tax officials will not wait for you… but they will come for you though.
So, stay organized in these areas.
6. Your plan, goals, and accountability
At the end of each day, check that you have completed the tasks on your to-do list and your actions are in alignment with your goals. It is easy to miss the forest for the trees and end up spinning your wheels furiously but going nowhere.
Part of a business organization is ensuring that your actions are geared towards success. Be aware of your goals constantly.
Another useful practice is to always plan the next day once you have finished your work today. Decide what you will do tomorrow and write it down in your planner, if there are files to draw, do so the day before, and have them to hand on your desk. In this way, you can hit the ground running the next morning instead of planning, then drawing files and getting organized.
Staying organized in your business will help you achieve success much faster and with less hassle and headache. Like Ralph Waldo Emerson used to say, “A good system shortens the goal.”
Stay organized and you will achieve success sooner than you thought possible.
