Stay Focused On Your Business With Simple Organization Tips
March 10th, 2010The world consists of two types. First, there are those who have been organized since the day they were born…then there are those who have not. Are you part of the second group of people? It’s okay! There are ways to stay organized in your small business.
The advantages are great. A person who can organized their business will find the work gets done in much less time. They forget important events less. They feel less stressed and out of control. This article will give you some realistic techniques to stay organized even if you feel you are a hopeless cause:
Don’t Let The Sun Set on a Mess
Make the last task before heading out for the evening a quick few minutes to straighten your workspace. Put office supplies such as stapler and pens in a central location so you are ready to go in the morning. Check the trash can and empty it if necessary, and remove any empty cups or other dishes that are cluttering your desk.
A key component to this step is to “organize” your paperwork generally into the order you want to handle it in the morning. This is also the perfect opportunity to jot down a to-do list for tomorrow, and rank each item as to importance.
By taking 5-10 minutes to complete these simple tasks each evening, you will find renewed motivation in the morning to tackle the day ahead.
Use the Rule of 3 to Group Work Product
There will always be those people who know right where everything they need is at any time. Then, there are the rest of us. The rule of 3 is a helpful technique that has worked for me in finding work betters when I need them.
The idea is not tricky. Maintain only three stacks of paperwork at any one time. Stack number 1 contains your most pressing things – those you want to accomplish today. Stack number 2 will hold those items you want to get to this week, and the final stack will be those less critical things you can get to within the month. This can be a painful upfront process, but by taking the time to create these three stacks, you will save time in the long run from digging through piles when you are in a hurry and need some critical paper fast.
Just Do It
The reality is that each day you avoid creating an organization system that you can live with you miss opportunities for your small business. A larger part of your day can be spent on making your small business succeed when you are organized. But remember, one size does not fit all and what works for one would drive someone else crazy. So find the system that works for you and make sure you can commit to using it every day.
Get more small business success strategies and claim your free white paper: “7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day … And, How to Get it Back This Year” to learn about an online accounting program that makes it simple to organize your accounting and finance.
