Forums: Discussions for entrepreneurs and small business.

Organization seems to be a constant battle for me as well. Everyday though I am learning new techniques by trial and error to see what works.

I tend to make the procedures for organization more complicated at first and then dumb them down as I go along which I have come to realize doesn't work for me. The reason why I dumb down my procedures for organization is I lose the drive behind it due to the complications I have set forth.

I am currently on a path to minimize myself from doing this. What I do now is if a new task is at hand I start with the most basic aspects of it and go from there. Example: receipts are every business owners best friend when the tax man is knocking on the door, but I had a record system setup that was so complicated I didn't want to follow through and the pile kept growing and growing. Now all I have is a little cardboard box, all my receipts go in when a purchase is made and at the end of every day I log and file them, simple and sweet. (the box is little so I can only fit so many in it before it overflows, keeps me from saying "I will do it tomorrow")

On that note, my suggestion would be not to think of organizing as a mountain of overwhelming terribleness but a start from extremely simple and work upwards from there. At that point everything should organize itself over time. This I have found has worked for me.

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www.betawerkz.com

I think you should just drop everything for a while and sort out your to do list. It will save you more time later.

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Customer analytics | growth strategy

This thread seems to have started several years ago, but it continues to receive posts. Suppose it's a popular topic.

I started my business 6 years ago, and I've used a ton of different organizational tools along the way.  Here is a summary of my suggestions:

• Use either a virtual server (like dropbox) or a networked computer (doesn't have to be a server- just a computer networked so all the computers in your office can access it) to save all your business files.  That way, your fellow employees or contractors can all access the same files.
• When you do this, set strict rules about the naming convention for saving files and limit the creation of new folders to one "gatekeeper."  People have a bad habit of creating folders for just about everything they do.  The problem is, folders are really good for hiding files.  It's much easier to find a file if you only have a small number folders than it is if you have dozens or hundreds.  This is especially true when you have folders inside of folders
• Get an online backup service (like iDrive, SugarSync, or Carbonite).  These days, your data is your business, so it is always a good idea to create a backup copy of your files
• Start using QuickBooks to track your income, expenses and capital investments as soon as possible. The longer you wait to start organizing your finances, the more difficult this becomes.
• Get separate business bank accounts and credit cards.  Mixing your personal and business finances makes for extremely difficult bookkeeping. Having separate accounts, makes this dramatically easier.
• Choose a to-do list and use it like crazy.  I've used several over the years.  I'm currently using RememberTheMilk, because I like some of the functionality. 
• If you have projects that involve multiple people working together, get a project management system to keep a record of the work and keep everyone on the same page.  The most popular one is BaseCamp, but it doesn't have a ton of features.  I'd consider TeamWorkPM.

In addition to the above information, my entire business is designed to provide information to entrepreneurs on how to set up their businesses properly.  We have considerable information on our flagship site, ChooseWhat.com.  Hope it helps as well.

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Leo Welder
ChooseWhat.com
FindAFax.com

Pay Attention: With so many distractions and competing priorities, it’s easy to get derailed. And that can create chaos. Monica Ricci, a professional organizer and author of Organize Your Office in No Time, suggests taking a second to be aware of what you should be doing. “Refer to your schedule, calendar or task list frequently,” she says. “Your organizing assistants -- like your task list -- will help you stay on track and avoid being distracted.”  

Keep Track: Managing multiple deadlines can mean several projects wind up on your desk daily. This usually results in confusion and clutter. Janet Luhrs, author of The Simple Living Guide, offers this organizational tip: “Have a dedicated basket or small shelf for pending projects, and stack them in order of deadline. If the deadline isn't today, create a second file -- not on your desk -- for items that are due later in the week.”  

Expand Space: Don’t have enough surface area for that second file? Get creative. “Use hanging hot pockets to free up your immediate real estate for active paperwork,” Luhrs suggests. “That way, you only have one item in front of you on your desk while you're working on it.”  

Manage Minutes: Using the few spare seconds you do have to get things in order can really pay off. “If you can do a task in two minutes or less, you must do it right then,” Novak advises. “File that one folder instead of making a pile to be filed later. Spend five minutes at the end of the day wrapping up, putting away things you used during the day and pulling items you’ll need for the next day while creating a top 10 to-do list in order of priority.”  

Triage Papers: Managing your paper trails makes it easier to navigate your day. “Act on items needing immediate action,” says Betsy Fein, president of Clutterbusters. “Toss items after you've read them and [they] are not important to keep. If you haven't used it or needed it in three months, it can be archived or tossed. When in doubt, throw it out.” Retain only those items you won’t be able to retrieve again through other means.

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