Being an entrepreneur means being your own boss. Unfortunately, it also means being your own employee. It’s all too easy to get burned out as you juggle both managerial and repetitive, low-level tasks, especially if you work from home. Read on 7 Organizational Tips All Entrepreneurs Need to Know.
Luckily, there are several techniques you can use to bring order to your entrepreneurial lifestyle. Here are seven tips to get you started.
7 Organizational Tips All Entrepreneurs Need to Know
1. Declutter Your Workspace
It’s much easier to organize your business if your physical workspace is clean. One survey found 53% of workers believe their disorganized workspace made them less motivated.
Do you have a huge stack of papers on the corner of your desk? Scan and upload them to the cloud, then shred them without shame. Zip-tie that horrifying, Medusa-esque jumble of cables under your desk so the wires stop brushing across your leg — no more mini heart attacks thinking a bug just landed on you.
Create separate containers for your pens and pencils. Buy an in-desk organizing tray to corral paper clips, sticky notes and any other small items that tend to float freely around the desk. By implementing just a few minor changes like these, your workspace will start to feel positively zen.
2. Write Everything Down
One of the simplest yet most effective ways to get organized is to develop the habit of writing everything down. Whether you want to remember a new client’s name, keep track of business expenses or break a big project into manageable chunks, put it on paper — or a digital note — to ensure you remember it.
Every task is important enough to write down. In the age of info overload, jotting down your thoughts can mean the difference between forgetting you had a Zoom meeting and showing up on time.
3. Schedule Small Tasks
You likely already use a calendar to schedule upcoming events like meetings or deadlines. However, you can further organize your work life by putting smaller items on your to-do list.
For example, if you need to email your assistant about an upcoming project, estimate how long the task will take. It’s OK if you don’t know exactly how long you’ll need, but try calculating it as best you can. Then, pencil it into your daily schedule.
This form of micro-scheduling drives some entrepreneurs crazy. However, the added structure is beneficial for other people, so try it and see if it works for you. You might realize you were over- or under-scheduling your day before implementing this technique.
4. Create Templates
Do you write marketing copy for several similar businesses? Do you find yourself sending the same types of emails day after day? If so, create templates to use as shortcuts for these repetitive tasks.
For example, you can create a template you fill out whenever you need to write a blog post. Try to put some of everything on it, like a bulleted list, numbered subheaders, listicle-style headers and a section for the conclusion. Simply delete anything you don’t need before you start writing. You can even add a list of website links you commonly use for blog posts — such as creative commons photo sites or plagiarism checkers — at the top of the template for easy access.
5. Eat That Frog
You’ve written everything down and scheduled even the smallest tasks on your daily calendar. However, after taking a closer look, you realize you left the most demanding jobs for the end of the day.
This strategy is fine for some, especially if your brain is slow to come online in the morning. Some people should have their coffee first! But for other entrepreneurs, leaving the hardest jobs for last creates a nagging sense of dread as the day progresses.
Eat that frog. Although this popular organization technique has a cringe-inducing name, all it means is to get the most complex things out of the way first. Organize your daily work schedule so you finish the toughest projects by lunchtime. Then, it’s all smooth sailing from there.
6. Group Tasks Together
Have you heard of batching? If you’re picturing something to do with baking, that’s actually where the word comes from, but it has evolved to refer to a slightly less-exciting activity. Batching means grouping all similar tasks for the day or week, and focusing on one at a time. The technique is especially helpful for tackling short, repetitive tasks that can easily turn into time sinks.
For example, instead of checking your email 10 times a day — who among us hasn’t? — you could pencil in 30 minutes to check and respond to emails in the morning. Then, you have to drop the task until tomorrow and focus on something else. The time you save from staying on one tab rather than jumping between them can add up quickly.
7. Review Your Goals
Are you meeting personal and professional deadlines? Have you been developing your business and achieving your financial, marketing and client-related goals?
Check in with yourself periodically to see if you’re on track. If you realize you’re falling behind on a goal, you can reevaluate what you must do to achieve it. These periodic check-ins help you organize your day-to-day life.
Finding Calm in the Chaos
As an entrepreneur, you have one of the toughest jobs around, especially if you’re also juggling household responsibilities. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed. However, you can certainly get organized if you have the grit and professional know-how to run your own company.
Try implementing one or two strategies at a time to see which ones work best. Then, run your business like the boss you are.
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