The 3 Rules Of Organization That Are Crucial To Small Business Owners

Are you unorganized and overwhelmed? Is your work area a disaster zone with papers strewn across your desk, no processes in place to complete daily tasks and excessive information coming at you both online and off?

The problem is that this state of physical and mental disorganization and overwhelm can spill over into your personal life too. This is especially true for home based business owners because our personal and business lives are so interconnected and it’s important that we are managing our time wisely.

But how did you get to this state of disorganization? It probably crept up on you as your business was growing and you started focusing more on the work at hand and less on managing your office.

How can you get from disorganized back to organized? The solution is simple if you follow these 3 rules and start streamlining your systems to manage the overwhelm:

Rule #1: Clear your desk. Before you jump into your work day, take 10 to 15 minutes to clear your desk and clear your mind saving you more than the time you invested. Make sure you have a procedure in place to keep your work area tidy and ensure paperwork is easy to access. Tools such as literature organizers to sort paperwork and containers for your writing utensils will make it easier to maintain your office space and manage your records.

Rule #2: Document your processes. Every time you do something for the first time it’s a good idea to make step by step notes. If you haven’t been doing this, start now. Again, it may take a little bit of extra time to document but you will have a reference to assist you with the task the next time and it will save you time in the long run. This is especially helpful if it is a task that you don’t repeat on a regular basis. And this information will be invaluable when your business has grown to the point that you decide to outsource or subcontract out work in the future. Make sure you document your notes within a Word document with separate headings for each topic or in a notebook or binder dedicated only to recording procedures. You don’t need more loose paper to manage.

Rule #3: Manage your information. Avoid information overload and stockpiling unneeded information. We collect so much information and it often isn’t organized in any specific way. There is so much useful information out there and some that we collect we don’t need to use right away. Start up one file to collect all this information. I have created a file I call “Tips and Tools” within my Outlook Tasks. It’s a simple table with the following headings where I can copy and paste all the info in point form that comes across my desk or inbox for easy reference when needed: “Company Name/Site Name/URL”, “Function” and “Details”. You can set up a similar system either in Word or within a notebook or binder. Now you have a handy reference and you can delete the emails or recycle the papers containing the original information. No more searching in various places as all the information is now in one place.

Initially it will take some time and energy to get from a state of disorganization to an orderly efficient system. Stick with this plan for several weeks and you will have control back. In a couple of months you will be reaping the rewards of greater productivity.

The Top 7 Reasons You Don’t Have Time For What’s Important

One of the most common challenges I hear from small business owners is that they do not have enough time to focus on what’s really important in their business. In order to solve this problem you first have to determine why this is a challenge. Once this is clear, you can look at strategies to help you manage the little things better and free up more time for what’s important.

What’s important is unique to each business and is usually related directly to the core business activity and why the business owner started the business in the first place. Personal satisfaction and achievement, pride in the job and a flexible lifestyle are generally valued higher than wealth creation.

Here are the top 7 reasons you don’t have time for what’s important:

1. You are spending too much time on “X” – Replace “X” with one of your top time wasters. What is it that you always seem to get stuck on for hours at a time? For important but often repetitive tasks like replying to email inquiries or submitting proposals, create and save templates that can be used over and over and modified when needed.

2. You don’t follow a schedule – If you start your day by sitting down at your desk wondering what you will do today, you will not be productive and likely not accomplish anything important. End your day by creating a to-do list for the next day. You will have focus and know what needs to be done.

3. You have too many clients/commitments – This seems like a good problem to have, however, it’s better to have fewer clients that get your full attention than more than you can handle. With too many commitments the quality of your work can suffer along with your good reputation.

4. You have trouble saying “no” – Make it a rule to never promise what you can’t deliver. This means sometimes having to say “no”. Your clients, family and friends will respect you for your honesty and will trust your word.

5. You are unorganized – Your work area is a disaster zone. Papers strewn across your desk, no set schedule and you’ve misplaced your day timer. Before you jump into your work day, take 15 minutes to clear your desk and clear your mind saving you more than the 15 minutes you invested.

6. You have bad habits – You know what you’re doing wrong and you know how to correct it but you’re stuck in the habit. I’m sure you’ve heard the quote by Tony Robbins, “If you do what you’ve always done, you’ll get what you’ve always gotten.” Start by replacing one bad habit with a good habit.

7. You need help – You are doing everything ‘right’, the problem is that your business has grown to the point that you cannot continue to do it all and still maintain your high standards. You’ve heard about outsourcing and are ready to look into this further.

Identify what challenge has the highest impact on your time and then focus 100% of your effort on that one thing. To make the change successful, keep it simple and do not overwhelm yourself. A change will do you good!