Our top tips and handy resources for getting on top of everything
The to-do list in your head is growing ever bigger, you feel constantly behind and you know that your business is not operating at its full potential. If you’re familiar with this feeling, it’s time to make ‘get organised’ a top priority. And we have just the tools to help…
Here are our top 7 tips for getting organised and resources to help you along.
#1 – Do a little bit each day
Someone once said ‘it’s easier to keep up than to catch up. We aren’t sure who said this originally, so let’s just say it was someone really wise…
‘I’ll get to it tomorrow’ are famous last words when it comes to staying organised. Procrastination is the enemy of an organisation, but the good news is there is a really simple way of overcoming this.
Do a little bit each day.
Don’t think of the big tasks as something to tackle in one sitting. Thinking this way will just leave you overwhelmed and uninspired. Break the big, daunting tasks down into smaller steps, then do one step each day. Seriously, just one. Tick that off and then walks away.
#2 – Tidy your workspace
Whether it’s onsite, in the office or the inside of your work vehicle, keeping your workspace clutter-free allows you room to think, literally. When our brain sees clutter, it stresses us and doesn’t allow us room to think clearly. We become easily frustrated, overwhelmed and therefore unproductive.
Organisation onsite is first and foremost about keeping everyone safe. That nail gun lying around could equal a trip to the hospital, a lawsuit or, best case scenario, wasted time looking for the nail gun!
Your office should invite you to sit down and smash things out. If just looking at your desk leaves you exhausted, take the next hour to tidy it. Trust us, you’ll feel far more relaxed.
Don’t underestimate the importance of keeping your work vehicle tidy either. We’ve touched previously on the annual expense of spending just 30 minutes a day looking for tools through a messy van or ute tray – check it out, the cost will surprise you.
#3 – Make a list (groundbreaking, right?)
Despite being an age-old piece of advice from the organised to the disorganised, it still rings true.
We recommend ditching the pen & paper for a more modern approach to list-making. Check out Trello and Asana. Both of these services allow you to access your list from anywhere, on any device, at any time. You can team up with other people if it’s a bigger project requiring a few hands. Remember we mentioned breaking up the big tasks into smaller, more achievable subtasks? These sorts of programs are perfect for just that.
The best part is that they are free so you have no excuse to not jump in right now and set up an account. Then download the app on your phone or tablet, and make it a habit to check in at least three times a day, or set up notifications on your phone for when things are due.
#4 – Keep track of your time
Not sure where the day is going? Time tracking programs can help you figure it out!
Free online services, such as Tmetric and Everhour, let you track time against tasks within your Trello or Asana lists (or any list for that matter). Hit start and stop on the timer to get a comprehensive overview of how your day is being divvied up.
You might be surprised to find that sending off an invoice from start to finish takes an hour! Or quickly updating the books can easily turn into a half-day job. If this is the case, you know it’s time for a more streamlined solution or perhaps outsourcing to a financial professional.
#5 – Use technology to its advantage
Using the cloud for data storage means you’ll never spend time recovery lost documents again. And you can access the things you need whenever, wherever, on any device that’s connected to the internet.
A customer management system (CMS) allows you to easily input new customers, export data and generally keep track of things for future marketing opportunities.
Always remember that a customer’s potential value extends beyond when they’ve paid the final invoice; customer retention is far cheaper than customer acquisition, not to mention the value in positive word-of-mouth.
#6 – Stop multitasking
Despite years of research suggesting otherwise, we humans still believe we are capable of multitasking. The fact of the matter is simple: we aren’t.
Our brain isn’t designed to jump so quickly between different projects. Multitasking leaves us stressed, frustrated and have not actually achieved anything of value.
When you sit down to a task, make that your only priority for a certain amount of time. Set a timer on your phone and work on that one thing until the time is up.
#7 – Know when you’re beat
If all else has failed, it’s time to admit that the list is simply too long for one person to tackle.
Employ people who you trust to get the job done so that you feel comfortable and confident in delegating. And if it’s a specialised task, such as your bookkeeping and accounting, outsource to a professional.
Now that you’ve taken the time to read up on getting organised, actually, get yourself organised. Remember number 1? We’ll refresh your memory – ‘do a little bit each day. Pick one thing from this list and make it happen right now.
Contact Bryn & the Tradies Accountant team right now to discuss your bookkeeping and accountancy needs. That’s one more thing off your list!