Good organizing is not about changing your personality, just changing your habits. Personal organizational skills create a professional environment which allows you to better manage a business as an owner or manage a productive work environment for all employees.
Is your physical space for your business, such as workplace, office, desk or warehouse neat and organized?
Are you able to focus on tasks without being distracted?
Can you find things easily and without much hassle?
Do you have an accurate inventory?
Does your business have good workplace morale?
If you answer YES to all, then stop reading. We are impressed, congratulations and keep up the great work!
If you answer NO, continue….
You need to organize your spaces so that you can easily find things (time management), not waste money ordering duplicate supplies (financial) and that your tech is working properly to ease your workload (efficiency). You can purge, empty, shred by just looking around and seeing what you don’t use or consider outdated. Start in just one area. If something is broken, toss it out, recycle it or repair it. If something hasn’t been used in months or even years, let it go - a desk or chair, equipment, supplies, etc.
Let It Go. Be honest and ask yourself…
“When was the last time I used this?”
“How often do I use this?”
“How difficult/expensive is it to get this to replace?”
“How much space can I gain by letting this go?”
“Is there a cost connected to keeping this?”
“Is it outdated?” Think expiration dates or software.
Send everything home. Start by gathering everything up (and yes, the area will look like a disaster zone when you first start) and then put it back where it belongs, what I like to call, “home.” Start with a drawer or desk. Move to larger projects one at a time but don’t overwhelm yourself or you won’t go back (and then you just have a larger mess and nothing accomplished). If you don’t have a “home” for it, then create one in a logical, designated area with other similar items. Think of the grocery store, you want pasta so you look for the specific aisle, and when you find the pasta, you see the different types of sauce right next to the pasta. Makes sense, right? Think of your office or business in the same way.
Create work zones. A desk, an office or a communal work space area. Create spaces to work, keep clear and clutter free with places for supplies and paperwork within reach. Then have a supply area, a reference area (think files, shelves or binders) or an electronics area for printers, scanners, fax machines or any type of electronic equipment that is frequently used by yourself and/or employees in general. Keep supplies and equipment close to each other.
Oh, and one more thing… put a little greenery like a small plant on your desk or a standing plant somewhere for all to see. Studies have shown that greenery increases workplace satisfaction and increases productivity, among other factors to help a more positive workplace.
Label. Seeing is believing. If you know what goes where, you and your employees will find it much easier to put things back (return “home”) and keep things organized. No fancy labels necessary, just clearly state what goes where. Keep like-items together either by category or date.
Filing systems Are you a digital and/or paper stacker filer? In today’s world, I still use a filing cabinet along with being in the digital age as I try to keep in mind the ‘go green’ ideology. While I still print out some things that I would like to find quickly and easily in a filing cabinet, I also use my electronic filing system. Emails are filed and purged in the same process as paperwork.
Don’t let paper or e-files pile up. Purge at least once a week. For archival files, bank boxes are a great way to store but make sure you put specific details on the outside to let you know what exactly is on the inside (think details such as what it is, dates, names, etc.). If you have old archival files, shred (for bulk, call in a shredding company or look for free shredding events). Paperwork purging is a project in itself if you haven’t done it for a long time. So give yourself time on this type of project.
Outdated Software along with those mystery cords. Technology seems to change faster than the wind these days. Purge and sort the old tech and software as most is now downloadable. And if your computer systems are older, you may be in need of an update.
For those cords and cables that are just sitting around, toss them or better yet, take them to a recycling center. So much is wireless these days. For older electronic equipment such as a laptop, make sure you transfer any data you need to your newer computer (or have someone who knows transfer to a drive) or any older printers, fax machines. Local computer stores may be able to suggest where to recycle or drop off. Or, in the City of St Augustine, you can drop off electronics and wires at 601 Riberia Street at the City of St Augustine Solid Waste Facility. https://www.citystaug.com/928/Electronics-Batteries .
Electronics recycling in St Augustine just happened on January 5th, 2022 so if you missed that date, the next date is tentatively set for April 22nd, 2022 which is EARTH DAY. Check the website in February or March for more information.If any or all of this sounds too overwhelming or you just don’t have time, give us a call at Beacon Business Advisors to discuss your problem areas. Let’s talk so you can Plan. Organize. Perform. https://beaconadvisorsfl.com/our-services/office-workspace-organization/
For more information on how Beacon Business Advisors can help you, see our services.