By Claire Edicson
When you start a business, you’ll have all good intentions to be as organised as possible – you’ll have plans and ideas to make that happen, and you may even have processes and systems in place to ensure you keep things organised as you go along.
However, when the realities of actually running a business hit you and you realise that there’s a lot more to do than you thought there would be – or you realise that when you’re dealing with real people, things can get pretty messy and complicated – those processes and systems can easily go out the window, and you’ll be left in confusion. Not only is that bad for business, but it can be bad for your stress levels and overall mental health as well, so it’s a good idea to work out how to stay organised even when things get extra busy.
It might sound like an impossible task, especially when you look at your to-do list and see all the jobs that are still outstanding, but the fact is that there are plenty of tools and tips you can use to help you stay on top of things and keep your business’s reputation in one piece. With that in mind, keep reading to learn more about how to stay organised when you’re running a business.
Start With The Right Mindset
The first thing you need to think about – literally – is that your mindset really matters. If you’re trying to just be perfectly organised the whole time, that’s just going to lead to stress and strain, and you’re going to get frustrated because you’re not going to reach your goals. You’ve got to give yourself a fighting chance to do what you need to do without stretching yourself too thin, and aiming for perfection isn’t the best option here. If you’re chasing some mythical version of a perfectly organised business where no email goes unanswered and every project is neatly tied up well before the deadline, you’re going to burn out – there’s no doubt about it.
Instead, the best thing to do is to approach organisation like it’s a tool to make your life easier (which it is) rather than something to beat yourself up about (which it isn’t). The fact is that some days you’ll be brilliant, and others won’t be so great – that’s just how life (and business) goes. Being organised is really about giving yourself systems that can help you when you get stuck now and then, and if you work on that premise, you’ll be on the right track.
Get Your Priorities Right
One thing you’ve got to know right from the start, even if it’s a hard thing to hear and understand, is that not everything on your to-do list is important. Some tasks only feel urgent because they’re the ones that are taking up the most space, but if they’re not actually moving your business forward or actively helping in any significant way, they might have to wait and leave room for the things that will boost your business and profits. Running a business means you’ve got to get really good at working out what matters today, this week, this month, and so on.
If you find that you’re often buried under a million tasks, it’s time to ask yourself what’s going to have the biggest impact, as well as what’s time-sensitive. And of course, you need to ask what can wait because that can change everything when you really answer honestly. Plus, is there anything that can be delegated, delayed, or just forgotten about altogether? It might not seem like there would be, but it’s possible – and it’s worth checking.
Use Technology Properly
There’s an app for everything these days, and that’s not even an exaggeration. No matter what you need to do, there’s sure to be a piece of tech or software to make sure it happens in the right way. However, if you’re not careful, you’ll end up with too much tech, and perhaps a load of programs that don’t even connect to one another, which is only going to make life a lot harder than it needs to be. And of course, everything will take longer and there will be more mistakes too.
That’s why you need to pick your tools carefully and keep them nice and simple. For example, if contracts are part of your everyday operations (and for most businesses, that will be the case), investing in good contract management software can save you hours of stress trying to remember who signed what and when. The fact is that having one central place where all your important documents live, with reminders and alerts built in, makes it much easier to stay on top of things without having to dig through endless email chains or have to go back to your client to ask embarrassing questions that you should have the answers for.
And you’ll really want to find tools that work together, fit your particular sector, and genuinely make your life easier rather than more complicated.
Create Human-Friendly Systems
Have you ever come across a filing system so complicated that even the person who made it can’t work it out after a while? That’s the last thing you want, so steer clear of anything like that – if you can’t understand how to use a system, program, process, or anything else, it’s not going to help you either now or in the long run.
The best organisation systems are designed for real life, which means they need to be simple, flexible, and easy to learn (perhaps even without any instructions – intuitive systems are the best overall). Remember, you’re busy and you’re human, and so is the rest of your team, and no one has the time or energy to deal with difficulties that don’t need to exist, especially if those difficulties are systems that are meant to be helping.
A good example is your filing system. Instead of a rigid system that only makes sense in theory, what about setting up folders by project name or client? And then always make sure you label your documents clearly so they’re quick and easy to find by you and anyone else who might need them. Plus, in your inbox you could have a few different folders like ‘To Reply’, ‘Awaiting Response’, and ‘Done’, and that way you know where to find everything and which items need to be followed up.
What we’re saying is that the simpler the system, the more likely it is you’ll actually use it, and keep using it as things get busier.
Try Micro-Planning
You’ve probably been told to plan ahead loads of times, but that doesn’t always work – what’s the point in having a big planner you never look at, or a whiteboard that’s always out of date? The problem is that when you plan ahead too far, nothing seems important and it all tends to just drop out of view – by the time you need to do things, you’ve forgotten what you were meant to be doing in the first place (and then squeezing it all in becomes a problem as well).
That’s why micro-planning is a good thing to try. You’ll basically have to break your goals down into the smallest parts you can, and then work on each tiny piece, one by one, until you complete everything you need to. Rather than have one giant job to do that feels totally overwhelming (and which you’ll probably keep ignoring because of that), you’ll have very quick, easy jobs to do that won’t take much time or brainpower. Suddenly, that big task will be all done, and you won’t even notice it or break a sweat!
That’s because small, specific tasks feel much less intimidating than big, possibly quite vague ones, and ticking them off gives you a feeling of achievement that helps keep you moving forward.
Build In Wiggle Room
No matter how organised you are, chaos is going to sneak in somehow – clients might change their minds about things, your wifi might go down exactly when you need it, you might lose your notes for a meeting or presentation, and so on. These things happen. However, if you can plan for it (or at least generally, if not specific scenarios), then you’ll get better at handling everything, and it won’t be so disruptive.
That’s why it makes sense to leave some breathing space in your schedule whenever you can. If you think a task will take an hour, block off an hour and a half for it, just in case. And don’t jam your calendar so full that the tiniest problem ruins your whole day – build your organisation systems about the fact that sometimes things will go wrong, and that’s okay. In that way, even if mistakes are made or unexpected problems pop up, you’ll still be able to get on with things and it won’t be such a stressful situation – and most of all, you’ll still be organised.
About the Author: Claire is a technology journalist with extensive experience covering emerging tech trends, AI developments, and the evolving digital landscape. Her experience helps readers understand complex technological advancements, and how they can be implemented in their everyday lives.
