What term would you use to best describe your small business? If ‘organised chaos’ springs to mind, you’re absolutely not alone. One of the biggest challenges small business owners face is keeping on top of workload while ensuring everything continues to run smoothly. There’s processes and procedures in place, but they sometimes have to go out the window in place of just Getting. Stuff. Done.
What you really want it more of the organised, way less of the chaos.
But how do you get there?
We’re glad you asked! Check out our top organisational tips below…
Small Business Organisational Tips
Write a To-Do List (and actually use it)
How man times have you written a to-do list with good intentions only to end up using it as a makeshift coffee coaster half an hour later? And then, because it’s too much effort to decipher the tasks now obscured by coffee rings, it ends up in the bin.
We’ve all been there. To-do lists are one of those spur of the moment, feeling productive for thirty seconds things. But they can actually be hugely effective if used in the right way (or used at all!). In fact, studies have shown ‘that people perform better when they have written down what they need to do.’
In terms of organisation for your small business, an effective to-do list serves as a visual representation of what needs to be done and when, helping you plan your time effectively and ensuring nothing is missed.
To compile an effective to-do list, start with a brain dump.
Write down everything that needs to be done in no particular order. Once the information is out of your brain and on the paper in front of you, it becomes far easier to compartmentalise. Group related tasks together and begin numbering tasks in order of importance.
Remember, tasks that are both important and urgent should be top of your priorities list, no matter whether those tasks are big or small. Try to consider which tasks might aid the completion of other tasks too, and rank these highly.
You may also want to split larger tasks into a couple of bullet points on your list, allowing you to work through each task effectively and quickly. Once your list is complete, you’ll have a clear, organised pathway through the day that really makes the most of your time. No chopping and changing from one task to another and nothing important missed or forgotten.
Tick off tasks as you go for a little boost of motivation and accomplishment.
Avoid Email Procrastination
Email checking can become a bit of an obsessive habit, if we’re not careful. When concentration wanes, we’re straight over to our inbox having a nosey at everything we’ve missed. We don’t open the emails – we simply browse, and think, ‘I’ll come back to those later.’
Seems like a solid plan at the time, but it can cause your organisation to go out the window.
Not only does excessive inbox checking mean you’re constantly being drawn away from the task at hand, but it also means that emails are sitting in your inbox indefinitely, waiting to be responded to.
For organisation that works to help manage your emails and your focus, block in time for inbox checking. This may be twice a day, once in the morning and once in the afternoon, or slightly more often if necessary. These checks should be at a specific time, and you should try hard to avoid random checking in between.
Within this blocked time, respond to any emails you have and action anything that needs doing off the back of those emails. This way, your focus is entirely on the task at hand, emails are being dealt with quickly and efficiently, and you’re not left with an inbox of emails you’ll come back to when you’ve got time (because, let’s face it, you’re not going to have time.)
By doing so, you’ll increase your productivity, efficiency and you’ll feel far more organised throughout the day.
Manage Your Time
Easier said than done, we know! It’s incredibly hard to manage your time as a small business owner. The task you thought would only take ten minutes takes twenty, that quick meeting turns into an hour long chat, the phone wouldn’t stop ringing when you were trying to get your invoices sent out.
We understand. Time is a slippery little sucker, and once you’ve lost your grip on it, the day can very quickly go to pot.
While you can’t always manage your time as effectively as you’d like to, there are a couple of things you can do to ensure you’re able to complete some deep work on a daily basis.
One of our favourites is distraction free time-blocking. To do this effectively, assign time-blocks to certain tasks throughout the day. For example, from 8.30AM until 10.30AM you might send out invoices, and only send out invoices. No calls taken, no meetings booked, no emails responded to. By simply focusing on the task at hand for a set amount of time, you’ll find you’re able to complete it quickly and more effectively than if you were chopping and changing tasks.
When it comes to organisation for your small business, time-blocking can be hugely beneficial. It avoids a pile up of incomplete tasks and allows for optimum productivity.
Say No to Clutter
‘Tidy space, tidy mind’ isn’t just a phrase your mom used to use to get you to tidy your room as a teenager – there is actually some truth to it. According to a recent study, 91% of office workers surveyed said they feel ‘more effective and more efficient when their workspace is better organised.’
They feel that a tidy desk means distractions are minimised, focus is better, and time spent looking for lost paperwork is drastically reduced. And, in our eyes, anything that ticks all three of those boxes is an organisational tip every small business owner should be taking on board.
Too often, we can get bogged down with streamlining processes and rejigging procedures all in an attempt to make our business feel more organised. But actually, that organisation starts with you and how you feel. It may seem silly or patronising for us to say, ‘don’t forget to tidy your desk!’ but when it comes to running a small business, even the smallest of changes can make a difference.
Don’t underestimate the impact of your mindset when it comes to running a well-organised business – the more organised you feel, the more organised your business will be. So, say no to desk clutter!
Call in Back-Up
If you’re all organised out and still feel like your business could be more efficient or you could be more effective in certain areas, it’s probably because you’re taking on sole responsibility for too much. When your to-do list is never-ending, and the workload just keeps piling up, it really can feel impossible to get on top of things, let alone keep them organised and running smoothly.
If that’s the case for you, don’t be afraid to call in back-up. Freelancers or Virtual Assistants specialising in small business support are always on hand to step in when you need them to. If there’s a credit control procedure that needs streamlining, get in touch with a VA who specialises in credit control. If just looking at your inbox sends you into a disorganised spiral, reach out to a VA experienced in handling admin and customer correspondence.
Doing so won’t cost you the earth but really can be worth its weight in gold when it comes to organising your small business.
Small Business Support with The Edwards Company
If you’re determined to up your small business organisational levels and could use a helping hand, please get in touch with our fab team to discover the range of support we can offer.