Small Business Saturday Blog
Let's get organised....
Wednesday, April 25, 2018 at 15:26
Is a Better Organised Home Office the Key to Improving YourProductivity?
Do you find it difficult to give appropriate attention to theopportunities and challenges that come up in your business?
Perhaps your car is an extension of your office and you can’t facesitting at your desk when you get home but unopened envelopes and out of datefiles are taking over your workspace, leaving you feeling overwhelmed, stressedand distracted.
The effect of this disorganisation is often financial — interest orfees are being incurred, or money is being left on the table as invoices remainunprocessed.
Decluttering and organising your office might seem like a tedious andtime-consuming task, but your home office is a reflection of you and your business.Putting a simple system in place for managing paperwork means you can lay yourhands on documents quickly, be current on your priorities and clearly focus ongoals.
Youwill need:
A shredder and a bin
Separate zones for recycling, shredding or filing
Transparent files and sticky labels
A progress tray — for items that need an action or are awaiting aresponse
Space — the floor, dining table or kitchen worktop
A lockable, fireproof filing cabinet and suspension files
A rough idea of what categories you want to set up going forward i.e.business travel, insurance, registrations. Others will naturally emerge as yougo through the process
Break the task down into bite-sized chunks over a few sessions. Just setaside some time, grab a drink and snack and put on some motivational tunes!
OrganisingPaperwork
Gather every piece of paper relating to your business, including anyfrom attics or garages
Separate items into piles for shredding, recycling and filing.
Roughly group the ‘filing’ papers by category i.e. financial, traveletc., and label suspension files. Ideally, set aside a drawer of the filingcabinet for archived paperwork
Quickly shred/recycle
Go through the remaining items; group related papers together intransparent files with a label on the front i.e. insurance policy, car documentsetc.
Items that need an action/response should be placed in your progresstray
Put everything else in the appropriate sections within the filingcabinet, ensuring it is all stored securely — this includes archived paperwork.
“For every minute spent organising, an hour is earned.”Benjamin Franklin
Progress NotPerfection
Going forward, aim to deal with paperwork on a daily basis;
Dispose of junk mail. Check and action bills and invoices. Placepending items in the progress tray
File or shred everything else
Conduct a weekly review of your progress tray and schedule/action anynext steps
Once the above system is in place and routinely managed, you will findthat rather than searching for documents or trying to recall what is next onyour to-do list, your time and attention is freed up to concentrate on businessgrowth and client contact.
About the Author:
Kate Galbally is a Glasgow-based member of the Association ofProfessional Declutterers & Organisers (APDO) and the founder of Better Organised.With over twenty years' experience in PA & administrative support roles,she now works alongside clients to streamline their homes and offices so thattheir lives run more smoothly. www.betterorganised.uk
Categories:
- Inspire Series (1)
- Monday Seller Success With Ebay (8)
- Small Biz 100 (1)
- Small Business Saturday Uk Champion (2)
- Smallbiz100 (8)
Latest Posts:
- Spice up your life7 Days Ago
- The cycle continues7 Weeks Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2024?5 Months Ago
- Saying cheese in Prestatyn12 Months Ago
- Hitting the sweet spot in Bucks and Oxon12 Months Ago
- Telford’s Lean Green Eco Machine12 Months Ago
- We all scream for ice cream12 Months Ago
- #SmallBiz100 Joco returns to its roots12 Months Ago
- Coming in from the cold in central London12 Months Ago
- Bitten by the bug in East Sussex12 Months Ago
- Still rocking in Southend on Sea13 Months Ago
- Nobody's fool13 Months Ago
- 16 years of love in Ipswich13 Months Ago
- Small businesses celebrated at the Blue Tie Ball13 Months Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2023?18 Months Ago
- Zero to hero in Nottingham2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: That Vintage Football Shirt2 Years Ago
- Rock on in Southend on Sea2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Purrfect Cat Gifts2 Years Ago
- One love, one heart on Ipswich’s high street2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Hampers by Lauren2 Years Ago
- Good graces in Bristol and Bath2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Top Dog2 Years Ago
- Weigh to go in Northwich2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Handpicked Penrith2 Years Ago
- Holy cow in Westmorland2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: The game is afoot2 Years Ago
- All fired up and ready to go in Gerrards Cross2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success with eBay: Meteorite Man2 Years Ago
- Dorset's Ice Cream Appreciation Society2 Years Ago
- Monday Seller Success Story with eBay: Giddy Goats Toys2 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 celebrated at the Blue Tie Event2 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2022?2 Years Ago
- From field to fork – making the most of Cheshire’s local produce3 Years Ago
- Sustainable living with BLANC3 Years Ago
- Pizza power3 Years Ago
- In the good books3 Years Ago
- From babygrows to beer kits3 Years Ago
- Smile and say cheese3 Years Ago
- The perfect planner for when you didn’t plan for this3 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2021?3 Years Ago
- Feeling lighter than air at The Float Spa4 Years Ago
- At the cutting edge of local community4 Years Ago
- Sewing the seeds of success in Scotland4 Years Ago
- Joco's leap of faith pays off4 Years Ago
- No messing around! How Tom Foolery Coffee Company pivoted during the pandemic4 Years Ago
- How Mandira’s Kitchen has its eye on spicing up your freezer4 Years Ago
- Wild about keeping it local and healthy in Bristol4 Years Ago
- Award winning small business announced at Blue Tie celebration4 Years Ago
- Free leadership training for SME leaders delivered by leading Business Schools4 Years Ago
- Six things you can do in your business right now4 Years Ago
- How can my employees return to work safely and legally after Covid-19?4 Years Ago
- What is it really like being a #SmallBiz100? – Stamptastic spill the beans4 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a #SmallBiz100 2020?4 Years Ago
- Why embracing technology should be your New Year resolution4 Years Ago
- Starting a new business: financial tips for start ups5 Years Ago
- A helpful guide to data protection for small businesses5 Years Ago
- From architect to artisan at the Dumfries Larder5 Years Ago
- Putting down new Roots in Abergele5 Years Ago
- How Amazon is helping one woman tackle taboos and period poverty5 Years Ago
- Creating a community: What it means to be a small business5 Years Ago
- Building an enabling bridge, brick by brick5 Years Ago
- Get ready to rock with Rockit5 Years Ago
- How to create an event for Small Business Saturday UK5 Years Ago
- Jampacked with passion: the local cinema that’s giving back5 Years Ago
- Celebrating the North East’s cycle stars5 Years Ago
- Don’t know what to write about? 9 ideas for your next business newsletter, blog or social media post5 Years Ago
- Take a butcher’s at the first of the #SmallBiz100 20195 Years Ago
- 7 essential growth tips that small businesses need to know5 Years Ago
- Making a great first impression: photography & small business5 Years Ago
- Strength in numbers5 Years Ago
- How to choose the right pricing strategy for your business5 Years Ago
- How taking matters into her own hands led to huge success for Revival Retro5 Years Ago
- 5 content ideas every small business needs5 Years Ago
- The Flour Pot Bakery's secret to success5 Years Ago
- How to harness the power of Instagram and drive your business forward - the GB Labels way5 Years Ago
- Making Tax Digital is here! What does it mean for your business?5 Years Ago
- How we should champion success for International Women's Day5 Years Ago
- Step aside Mystery Shopper scheme - hello new Public Procurement Review Service!5 Years Ago
- The top three causes of entrepreneur burnout and how to avoid it5 Years Ago
- Get a great digital ad for your business for just £50, and help tomorrow’s entrepreneurs learn with iDEA!5 Years Ago
- Badge Your Brilliance with iDEA5 Years Ago
- How to make your Christmas the most successful yet!6 Years Ago
- Life in the fast Laine6 Years Ago
- Small businesses shine at launch of Silver iDEA Award St James's Palace6 Years Ago
- Local and sustainable is winning formula for SmallBiz100 Hays Hampers6 Years Ago
- Red Herring Games – Case Study6 Years Ago
- Keeping Up With The Tylers: How To Move With The Times6 Years Ago
- Making our own kind of music at the Blue Tie Ball6 Years Ago
- How to guest blog (and look like you know what you’re doing)6 Years Ago
- How to market your small business on a budget6 Years Ago
- Top summer marketing tips!6 Years Ago
- Purposely: embedding purpose into the heart of your small business6 Years Ago
- A ‘Dog Day Afternoon’ for Britain’s small businesses6 Years Ago
- Five ways to make your business successful in five years!6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Mooch revive the local high street6 Years Ago
- Why apply to be a SmallBiz100 2018?6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Julu on design, manufacturing, and building an online business with friends6 Years Ago
- Small Business Champion Series From Rich Brady ... Setting Business Goals6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Techsixtyfour on how to successfully build an online business6 Years Ago
- SmallBiz100 Frequently Asked Questions6 Years Ago
- Small Business Champion Series from Rich Brady...Putting the Family into Family Business6 Years Ago
- Exporting - not just for the big!6 Years Ago
- Can Giving Really Be Good for a Small Business? Spoiler: Yes!6 Years Ago
- Let's get organised....6 Years Ago
- Is your business leaking money?6 Years Ago
- Podcasting - The Ultimate How-To Guide - Part 26 Years Ago
- Setting BIG goals – why do it and how to go about it6 Years Ago
- International Women's Day 20186 Years Ago
- 9 tips for Business Success - it's all about love.6 Years Ago
- Demystifying LinkedIn for Small Businesses6 Years Ago
- 10 Top Money Tips for Small Businesses6 Years Ago
- Organising a Small Business Event - Tips from the Experts6 Years Ago
- 12 Top Tips for Micro-businesses6 Years Ago
- ACCA on board the Small Business Saturday Bus Tour7 Years Ago
- Is Britain Becoming a Cashless Society?7 Years Ago
- Small Business Spotlight - How Technology Can Help Small Businesses7 Years Ago
- Taking Your Business Beyond the High Street7 Years Ago
- 5 Ideas to Improve your Time Management7 Years Ago
- The Small Business Saturday Bus Tour launches across the UK for its fifth year!7 Years Ago
- Making the most of Small Business Saturday8 Years Ago
- Why I applied to Small Biz 100: Crafty Revolution tells all9 Years Ago