There are two types of people in the world. First you have those who were born with the organization gene; second are those who were not. Do you fall in the second group? It’s okay! There are ways to stay organized in your small business.
There are a lot of great reasons to stay organized. An organized business person is able to get more work done in less amount of time. The remember key meetings and events more often. They are more relaxed and feel in control of their day. Below are some functional tips to keep your business organized for those of us that are organizationally challenged:
Don’t Turn Your Back on a Mess at Night
Don’t head out the door in the evening without taking a short amount of time to straighten your desk. Gather your pens, stapler, and other tools together so you can find them 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.
The most critical part of this step is to gather your paperwork into a rough order of how you want to handle it the next day. While you’re at it, start a to-do list for the next day, and label each item “A” “B” or “C” depending on how important it is to complete.
You will find that this simple 10 minute process each evening will fire you up to jump in feet first the next day to complete what needs to be done.
Organize Work Product Using the Rule of 3
There will always be those people who know right where everything they need is at any time. Then, there are the rest of us. I have found the best way to organize my working papers so that I can actually find something when I need it is to use the rule of 3.
The idea is not tricky. Never have more than 3 stacks going at a time. The first stack is your most pressing business that you hope to get through during the day. 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. You may need to dedicate some time up front to get these three stacks organized, but the time will be ultimately saved as you are able to find needed paperwork much more quickly without digging through everything on your desk.
Take Action
The bottom line is that you are losing opportunities for your small business every day that you wait to find an organization system you can work with. When you are organized, a bigger part of your day can be spent on the success of your business. 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.
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