Simple Organization Strategies Help You Stay Focused On Your Business

The world consists of two types.  First, there are those who have been organized since the day they were born…then there are those who have not.  Do you fall in the second group?  It’s okay!  There is still hope for you to keep your small business organized. 

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.  They remember important events and meetings.  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 Let The Sun Set on a Mess

Make the last task before heading out for the evening a quick few minutes to straighten your workspace.  Put office supplies such as stapler and pens in a central location so you are ready to go in the morning.  Throw out the trash and get rid of any used cups or other things that don’t belong. 

A key component to this step is to “organize” your paperwork generally into the order you want to handle it in the morning.  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 are those people with organization stamped on their forehead who never waste time looking for what they need to complete a task.  Then, there are the rest of us.  One trick I have found helpful in organizing work papers so I can actually find them is to group them according to the rule of 3. 

It is a simple concept.  Never have more than three piles of paperwork going at any given time.  Stack number 1 contains your most pressing things – those you want to accomplish today.  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. 

Don’t Wait

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.  A larger part of your day can be spent on making your small business succeed when you are organized.  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.     

Get more small business success strategies and claim your free white paper: “7 Ways Your Stone-Age Accounting System is Stealing Money From You Every Day … And, How to Get it Back This Year”  to learn about an online accounting program that makes it simple to organize your accounting and finance.