One thing never changes with the unfolding of every New Year—the making and breaking of resolutions. On a personal level, people resolve to focus on picking up healthy habits, better time management, learning a new skill, changing jobs, or even partners! On the professional level, one resolution that unfailingly makes the list is becoming more organized, whether for a salaried employee or a small business owner.
Yet, within a few weeks, most people give up on their goal of becoming organized in their work habits. This is despite the fact that an orderly work ethos has numerous benefits, be it saving time on managing mundane tasks, cutting through the chaos of overlapping chores, and completing projects with ease and on time. This is especially of great value to small businesses, which, more often than not, have limited manpower and financial capability, so they need to use them prudently.
Here are some tips on how these companies can become more organized in 2020:
Start small and involve all
As with any plan, start with the basics and create a blueprint of duties. This might take some time, but it is time well invested. Identify the daily tasks and assign team members responsible for each while specifying realistic deadlines. Also, prepare a contingency plan for these daily duties, in case any team member is unavailable. This fail-safe system will allow business owners to focus their attention on strategizing and growing the business rather than firefighting.
Cut the clutter
A cluttered workplace is not just an eyesore but can also be the perfect spot to lose an important work memo or invoice. Involve your team in some spring cleaning and declutter the office. If this activity is new to you or your employees, https://clean4happy.com/ can be a good place to start. Following their how-to articles, guides, and information on the best products on the market, you can easily invest in a sturdy office cleaning kit. You can organize cleaning contests to clear unnecessary documents out of shelves and drawers, rearrange the filing cabinet, and keep the office floors spotless, and so on.
Work on online presence
Today, almost every business has an online business model. In the online space, customers often purchase based on a product’s reviews. It can be quite challenging to drum up customer feedback and recommendations for one’s products in cyberspace unless a company is willing to spend exorbitant on digital marketing. Small businesses, unfortunately, cannot do this—at least not for extended periods of time. So, don’t forget that organizing your business not only entails better structuring and physical cleaning but also putting time and effort into its online activities.
Get your products reviewed, neutrally
The previous point brings us to the role of product review sites. They review products, highlighting their pros and cons, so the customer knows exactly what they are going for. Not all sites publish glorified marketing spiel. Professional sites have well-defined protocols when it comes to reviewing. In addition to testing products in-house, they also speak to other consumers about their experiences, and this practice ensures authenticity and transparency. Create a list of product review sites which can evaluate your products neutrally, and collaborate with them. This can become a great marketing exercise for your brand. However, be ready to take some punches if they point out errors in your products—you can always go back to the drawing board to improve them based on the feedback. This will reduce the pressure of organizing your marketing activities to a great extent.
Use technology tools
Technology can be a great enabler in staying organized. Right from Google Calendar to compile a to-do list that can be shared, to WhatsApp for communication, there are numerous freeware and for-purchase apps to help small businesses function on the fly. Find those that can streamline your business processes and simplify your workflow for internal and external customers. You can also move some of these to the cloud so that employees can work remotely and access the relevant documents. This will take the load off, managing an offline documentation and filing system.
Motivate to grow
Humans love rewards and appreciation, and your team members are no different. Offer incentives to colleagues who are well-organized in their approach to work, adhere to deadlines, and take on more responsibility. This will encourage their co-workers to become proactive, increasing efficiency and propelling the business’s growth.
The key to a successful organization in any workplace is planning in advance and adhering to these outlined tactics. It ensures that everyone knows their jobs and can function more competently and independently. The management will then be free to explore new avenues for revenue, which, in turn, will help boost the overall success of the business.
