Organisation is what defines a business and what breathes success. An organised office is efficient, effective and productive. These pillars of success, however, aren’t seen in every business out there, although they are relatively simple to achieve. Well, let’s get you started! Here are some tips for Organizing Your Small Business.
Declutter the workspace
No work can be done within a cluttered space. Clutter is a huge demotivator and productivity killer and getting rid of it is of huge importance. First, let’s see how clutter is created. Simply put, it’s done by and large through something I like to refer to as “mental mislabelling”. Essentially, you categorise the most trivial of items as ‘items that you might need’ in your mind and voila, clutter! How did this happen? Well, if you try hard enough, you can find use for almost anything.
Now, here’s what a decluttered desk should look like: a couple of pencils and pens, paperclips, a stapler, a pair of scissors, a smartphone docking station, a post-it pad and everything relating to a PC unit. Everything else should either be given away, sold, or disposed of.
Declutter the PC
Your desk might be the most productive, clutter-free surface in the world, but it won’t matter too much if your computer is a mess. This is the age of technology, and in the age of technology, your computer desktop is equally as important as the physical one. Start by deleting everything you don’t need (apply the same principles from above); your work PC unit should contain nothing but work-related stuff. Delete unnecessary browser bookmarks and start designating files into folders, deleting whatever you don’t need.
Organise the Email
I’ve seen enough cringeworthy inboxes in my time, and let me tell you: it eventually starts interfering with the way you’re doing business. Most (if not all) email platforms bold new messages for a reason—so that they can stand out. If everything in your email is bolded, you’ll stop paying attention to individual (and important) emails, which might turn disastrous.
Engaging in reading emails whenever they pop into your inbox can soon become very distracting, which is why emails are best read at the end of the day. Designate an entire hour to this process and respond either towards the end of your workday or before you go to bed. Do not touch your email before or after the designated period.
Label everything
Disorganisation is the pillar of business failure. Let’s discuss it over an example: did you clean your room during your lazy childhood days? If you did, surely you weren’t too adamant about it, so your parents probably had to intervene more than once, misplacing everything and making it impossible for you to find your stuff. Well, a mislabelled workplace brings all the anxiety from the previous example, but it raises the stakes, seeing as how knowing the location of your work-related stuff is the essence of your efficiency as a professional.
Labelling everything is your best bet, and if you want the personalised labels to look really awesome and reflect the spirit of your business, give an awesome labeller such as Dymo LabelWriter 450 Turbo a go! You won’t regret it; it’s great for everything from files, binders, mailing, shipping assets and barcoding name badges!
Take care of the legalities
Disorganised legalities are a gateway to huge problems; legal loose ends can put you in a world of trouble, from monetary loss to bankruptcy and even jail time! First, you should make sure that you’ve filed a DBA (doing business as). Next, take care of your Tax ID number, as well as your permits and licences. Finally, record potential LLC and corporation changes with the state by filing an Articles of Amendment.
Everything from decluttering and organising your mail to labelling and taking care of all the legalities plays an equally important role in office organisation. Take care of everything promptly and keep maintaining the desired level of organisation!
