A Checklist of 5 Easy Ways to Organize Your Business

Better Business Bureau

Owning a business can sometimes be overwhelming to say the least. There’s no doubt that sometimes your office space gets a little messy and you may fall behind on your to-do list. Taking the time to get organized will set you up for success and growth.

Here is a checklist to get yourself and your business organized:

Create a To-Do List: First, focus on creating a master list. This should include everything you need to get done over the course of the next few months. Whether you use an electronic method or pen and paper, it doesn’t matter. Your local BBB uses Trello for this.

Use your master list to make daily to-do lists. Group tasks that can be completed together in the same block of time. Then, number your list according to daily priority. Mark things off as they are completed.

This will allow you to feel a sense of ease and accomplishment when you visually see your list(s) with completed check marks.

Make a Schedule: One of the most important steps to staying organized is making sure you’re making the most out of every day.

Start by making a schedule, based off your to-do list(s), that works with your lifestyle, business and deadlines. If you work better in the morning, schedule all major tasks for the first four hours of your day; if you’re an afternoon/night person, backload your day.

Use an electronic calendar or a physical planner to keep yourself on track. Force yourself to stick to this schedule for at least a week before you consider making any changes. This will allow you to see what’s working for you and what isn’t. Your local BBB uses Google Calendar for this.

Give Every Item a Home: Start your spring cleaning early!

Start on a individual level, take the time to clear out your desk drawer. Get rid of anything you don’t need anymore. Focus on creating a workspace with only the essentials that you need, organize your desk to have minimal distractions for optimal production.

Then move onto any other shared spaces within your office. Declutter and evaluate what is being used and what is just taking up space. Give everything a home and get organizers if needed.

Moving forward, make it a priority to pick up weekly. This will create a clutter-free, more productive space for not only yourself but everyone else.

Manage Emails: Responding to emails can be by far the worst part of the work week. Instead of randomly checking your inbox during the day, getting distracted and not completing a thought; set aside a time(s) during the day, when making your schedule, to focus solely on emails. This will allow you to respond to every email as soon as it is opened and will prevent emails from interrupting your other scheduled work.

Plan Your Social Media in Advance: Social media is an important marketing tool. And posting on social media seems like it should be such a simple task but when you have to do it daily it can become time consuming. Not only do you have to worry about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and maybe Pinterest, but you have to worry about your blog too.

Using a social media scheduler will allow you to sit down weekly or monthly to schedule all your upcoming posts. Instead of spending hours finding something to post, you can spend the time finishing that project that’s due by the end of the week or tweek your next blog post a little bit more. Your local BBB uses HubSpot for this.

This article was written by Shannon Boyle, Content Marketing Specialist for BBB Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.


A Checklist of 5 Easy Ways to Organize Your Business Better Business Bureau Owning a business can sometimes be overwhelming to say the least. There’s no doubt that sometimes your office space gets a little messy and you may fall behind on your to-do list. Taking the time to get organized will set you up for success and growth. Here is a checklist to get yourself and your business organized: Create a To-Do List: First, focus on creating a master list. This should include everything you need to get done over the course of the next few months. Whether you use an electronic method or pen and paper, it doesn’t matter. Your local BBB uses Trello for this. Use your master list to make daily to-do lists. Group tasks that can be completed together in the same block of time. Then, number your list according to daily priority. Mark things off as they are completed. This will allow you to feel a sense of ease and accomplishment when you visually see your list(s) with completed check marks. Make a Schedule: One of the most important steps to staying organized is making sure you’re making the most out of every day. Start by making a schedule, based off your to-do list(s), that works with your lifestyle, business and deadlines. If you work better in the morning, schedule all major tasks for the first four hours of your day; if you’re an afternoon/night person, backload your day. Use an electronic calendar or a physical planner to keep yourself on track. Force yourself to stick to this schedule for at least a week before you consider making any changes. This will allow you to see what’s working for you and what isn’t. Your local BBB uses Google Calendar for this. Give Every Item a Home: Start your spring cleaning early! Start on a individual level, take the time to clear out your desk drawer. Get rid of anything you don’t need anymore. Focus on creating a workspace with only the essentials that you need, organize your desk to have minimal distractions for optimal production. Then move onto any other shared spaces within your office. Declutter and evaluate what is being used and what is just taking up space. Give everything a home and get organizers if needed. Moving forward, make it a priority to pick up weekly. This will create a clutter-free, more productive space for not only yourself but everyone else. Manage Emails: Responding to emails can be by far the worst part of the work week. Instead of randomly checking your inbox during the day, getting distracted and not completing a thought; set aside a time(s) during the day, when making your schedule, to focus solely on emails. This will allow you to respond to every email as soon as it is opened and will prevent emails from interrupting your other scheduled work. Plan Your Social Media in Advance: Social media is an important marketing tool. And posting on social media seems like it should be such a simple task but when you have to do it daily it can become time consuming. Not only do you have to worry about Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, LinkedIn and maybe Pinterest, but you have to worry about your blog too. Using a social media scheduler will allow you to sit down weekly or monthly to schedule all your upcoming posts. Instead of spending hours finding something to post, you can spend the time finishing that project that’s due by the end of the week or tweek your next blog post a little bit more. Your local BBB uses HubSpot for this. This article was written by Shannon Boyle, Content Marketing Specialist for BBB Serving Eastern MA, ME, RI & VT.
Alice Business Today 2019 - January 2019