The kids will be going back to school in just a few weeks and whether you have students in your household or not, your routine is likely to change dramatically. For one thing, there will be a significant increase in traffic on the roads, so you’ll need to allow more time to get places.
For many small business owners, things slow down during the summer due to vacations and other factors, but start up again in full gear in September. If you don’t have good systems in place before you get busy, you’ll find it hard to stay on top of things, as you’ll basically be operating in survival mode, dealing only with immediate concerns. Now is the best time to get yourself and your business organized so you’re ready when fall arrives.
The specific actions you need to take will depend on the nature of your business, your personal work style, and your current situation, but the following four steps will help guide you through the organizing process.
Step 1: Self-Assessment
Identify the problems you hope to solve by getting organized. Are you constantly running late? Do you typically reach the end of the day before you reach the end of your to-do list? Do you waste too much time looking for paperwork in your office or information on your computer?
As you recognize your challenges, try to determine why you have these problems and to think of possible solutions.
If you don’t seem to have enough space in your office, ask yourself if your office is too small, or if you simply have too much stuff! Perhaps you need some proper tools such as a filing cabinet or some type of desk organizer.
Sometimes it’s your own personality traits that stand in your way. Many people who struggle with perfectionism will spend hours fine-tuning a task that is already technically complete and would be considered “good enough” by others.
If you find yourself spending countless hours on work that is outside your area of expertise, weigh the value of taking a course to enhance your skills, or even hiring a professional to handle it for you, so that you have more time to focus on what you’re good at and really enjoy doing.
Albert Einstein once said
The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again and expecting different results.
If you don’t look at new approaches in your business, you’ll never get ahead of where you are now.
Your self-assessment doesn’t just involve what isn’t working. You also need to identify what has worked for you in the past , so you can do more of it, or adapt it to fit your current situation.
Step 2: Planning
It’s not realistic to try and make too many changes at once, so decide what changes are most needed and focus on those.
Research your options. Find out what products and systems are available that might suit your needs and how much they cost.
If you need help getting organized, consider hiring a professional organizer.
Plan what you are going to do, and when you will do it. Schedule it in your calendar.
Purchase any supplies you will need in advance – don’t leave it until the last minute in case they’re not available and you have to delay your organizing project.
Step 3: Implementation
On the date or dates that you’ve set aside, get to work on your organizing project. Treat this appointment the same as if you were working with a very important client – no phone calls, no visitors, and no checking email.
If it’s difficult for you to sit and focus on a task for long stretches of time, set a timer for 1 hour, 30 minutes, or even 15 minutes – whatever is realistic for you – then take a short break.
Regardless of what you are organizing, the process mainly consists of:
- Sorting objects into categories – things you need to access on a regular basis, things you need for archive/storage only, things you can sell, things you can give away, things you should throw out, etc.
- Organizing the things you’re keeping so they are easy to find and access when needed
- Placing those things in suitable containers such as file folders, binders, or boxes, appropriately labelled, so they stay in their new homes
Step 4: Maintenance
The most important thing to remember is that getting organized is only the beginning. It takes effort and commitment and proper systems to stay organized.
You will need to review your system periodically to make sure it is still working for you, and adapt it as needed.
The above post contains the highlights of a presentation I gave yesterday for the People in Connection Burlington Network Group, and to thank you for reading my blog, I am sharing with you a special offer that I made to that group. From now until Labour Day, you can save 40% off all of my products by entering the coupon code PIC2010.
If you’re in the Golden Horseshoe area, you can pick up some additional tips for getting organized and ready for the fall business season at the following upcoming events:
Monday, August 9 – 12:30-2:30: Oakville
Wednesday, August 11 – 8:00-9:30: Hamilton (with guest speaker Julie Stobbe of Mind over Clutter)
Wednesday, August 11 – 11:30-1:00: St. Catharines