7 Tips to Keep Your Business Organized in '08...

If you are like me, there are MUCH better things to do than file papers and organize. On the other hand, there is nothing that stresses me out more, or plays on my mind more than the organization of my workspace. I am totally bad for having "puddles" of papers and receipts and notes... all around the house. Ugh.
I began '08 with a revamp of my file cabinet. I actually bought some hanging folders, files and the stuff I needed to get my butt in gear. I cleaned out the cabinet and put the pretty hanging files in, made the perfect tags and... voila! Organization!
It has actually been easy to keep all my papers together, so far. I am spending the day today, organizing. All of the papers from last year are being filed in their respective folders, cleaning off the clutter of my desk and around the area. Tax time is approaching, and you know as well as I, the headaches that can ensue from filing tax for a sole-proprietorship.
With that being said... here are 7 tips to keep you organized!
1. Define your business goals and plans: Write down your business goals and how you plan to achieve them in a clear and precise way and stick to it. Keep this plan visible to remind yourself of your plan from day to day. Buy an organizer or use software to do this.

By studying and sticking to your plan, you can evaluate your position as to where you stand and make any necessary adjustments to get back on track.

2. Keep yourself and your employees motivated: When you and your employees are happy at work, it shows - and customers notice it immediately. It also improves efficiency and that shows your customers that you and your team are well- organized.

Keep rewarding your employees with any method that you feel works, so as to keep their morale high.

3. Plan according to business needs: There are some things that need to be planned daily, weekly, monthly and yearly. Make a list of these items and schedule them accordingly. Daily planning should be done in the early morning or in the late evening the previous day. Write these things down so that you do not forget them.

Use day planners available at office supply stores or use a computer program to remind yourself of important events. With the many new inventory and accounting software programs available, you can plan your stock, increase product rotation, and manage your expenses - thereby increasing your cash flow and profit margin.

4. Organize your office items: Keep your office or store as neat as possible. Keep items that you require everyday in the same place so that you do not have to hunt for them every time you need them.

Clear out items that you do not need or have not used in a long time. This will prevent lost time, helping you to concentrate on important issues instead of trivial things.

5. Adhere to your commitments: Keep your promises to customers, suppliers and employees. Making payments on time to your suppliers indicates a well-organized business.

Making deliveries at the agreed upon time to your customers will win their trust and will help you in getting repeat orders, as well generate word-of-mouth advertising.

6. Keep in touch: Keeping in touch with your customers indicates that you care about them and value their business. Send them brochures or e-mail them about new products and services that you offer.

Mail your customers birthday cards or greeting cards on special occasions and holidays. This shows a lot about how organized your business is.

7. Use that computer: A computer is like having an extra brain. Use it as much as possible. Do your accounting, inventory, delivery scheduling, and even your letter writing on it. It will save you a lot of time and effort – much more than doing these tasks manually.

With newer and faster applications, it is now possible to have a paperless, clutterless office. Having access to data at your fingertips indicates good organization. Just don’t forget to make a regular backup of your data.

The more organized your small business is, the easier it will be to operate day-to-day, leaving you more time to concentrate on increasing your profits.