Stay Focused On Your Business With Simple Organization Tips

There are really essentially two kinds of people.  Those who are genetically organized, and those who are not.  Do you feel you are in the second category?  Fear not!  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 forget important events less.  They are more relaxed and feel in control of their day.  This article will give you some realistic techniques to stay organized even if you feel you are a hopeless cause:

Don’t Leave a Messy Workplace at Night

Make the last task before heading out for the evening a quick few minutes to straighten your workspace.  Gather  your pens, stapler, and other tools together so you can find them in the morning.  Check the trash can and empty it if necessary, and remove any empty cups or other dishes that are cluttering your desk. 

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.  The rest of us make up the bigger population.  The rule of 3 is a helpful technique that has worked for me in finding work betters when I need them. 

The idea is simple.  Never have more than three piles of paperwork going at any given time.  The first stack is your most pressing business that you hope to get through during the day.  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.  This may take a few minutes to create the first time, but in the long run it will save you ton of time from having to look through every paper on your desk for the one that you really need. 

Take Action

Ultimately, the longer you wait to find an organization system that works for you and your small business, the more opportunities you miss for your small business.  Being organized allows you to spend more of your day focused on your small business and making it a success.  And keep in mind, what works for one person is a disaster for another.  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.