Good business organisation could be the difference between stagnant and growth. Being organised will help keep your operations running smoothly set you up for success in the years to come. 

How can you make sure your small business gets organised especially when you’re bootstrapping? 

Here’s an easy and affordable way to make sure you and your business stay organised this year and beyond.

Dedicated & Organised Workspace

If you’re going to make progress with your business, you need to create an environment that supports that momentum. There are a few proven techniques that can help you get more out of your workspace. 

Believe it or not, by adding a few natural plants or flowers around your office, you can increase productivity by 15% through improved concentration. You’ll also get a boost by putting away those knick-knacks, having a clear desk, and cleaning up your cables.

These techniques help you stay energised and focused without the distractions that come from a cluttered workplace. Even small changes that improve your productivity can make a huge difference in how organised and productive you are.

Pre-prepare your to-do lists

Everyone struggles with having too much to do and not enough time. So get into the habit of daily planning where you prepare the next day. You can either incorporate this into your morning or evening routine or block out 10 minutes in your diary at the end of your workday.

Check your agenda for the next day, note down tomorrow’s individual tasks and repeatable tasks then categorize them into Now (urgent items), Next (items you would like to get done if you have spare time), Later (non-urgent items). Be sure to always limit your ‘Now’ items to a maximum of 5 tasks per day to avoid overwhelm.

Map out your Ideal Day

The premise of your Ideal Day is that you actually schedule your priorities into your diary or a template. It then becomes your map for how you want to spend your day. If you find you need more time for family, then intentionally schedule that in. The same goes for client meetings and even things like self-care. 

Start by making a diary of your day-to-day activities starting from when you wake up to when you go to bed at night. Have a look back and identify what you want to have more time for in your day. Make room for those priorities and develop themes for each day of the week. 

Take Control of your Inbox

If your inbox is overflowing with unread emails, it can be frustrating and it might consume far too much of your time.

You’ll be more successful with your small business if you reduce this to a low number of important emails and clean out your inbox regularly.

You can try the 3-2-1-Zero concept, where you clear your inbox 3 times per day – spend 21 minutes to clear it to zero – ignore your inbox at all other times during the day. The trick with email is to make decisions quickly.

You can also try adding a Saved or Later folder to your email, quickly skim the less important and spam emails, delete them straight away, then drag the more important ones you want to come back to later in your folder. 

Visualise your goals and plans

Write down your business goals and how you plan to achieve them with action steps and stick to it. Keep this plan visible to remind yourself of your plan from day to day. Buy a physical diary or use software like Asana, Trello, or Wunderlist to help with this.

By visually seeing your plans and sticking to them, you can evaluate your position as to where you stand and make any necessary adjustments to get back on track.

Your time is your most precious commodity as a small business owner so make sure it’s organised and you can track your time. The more organised you and your small business are, the easier it is to operate day to day leaving you with more time to concentrate on increasing that revenue. 

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