Owning and running any small business is a huge accomplishment, but organizing that small business is critical to setting the business up for success. For this month’s “behind-the-scenes” look into commercial organization, I’m going to tackle small businesses!

To best organize a small business, you’ll want to establish systems and processes that will make everyday management as low-maintenance as possible. For small businesses, specifically, I like to organize using the “rule of three”. Limit yourself to:

• 3 core tools (email, task manager, file storage)
• 3 daily priorities (dependent on business, day-to-day operations)
• 3 main workflows (sales, delivery, admin)

Tools are necessary for business success, but having too many tools will lead to instant burnout! Establish minimal viable systems. Ask yourself, “What’s the simplest version that works 80% of the time?” and go with that! Instead of using a complex CRM (customer relationship management), try using a spreadsheet. Instead of implementing a full stop SOP (standard operating procedure)? Write out a checklist! If you own a small business and are just getting started, less is often more when it comes to organizational systems.

Then you establish long-term processes. If you do something more than twice, turn it into a checklist. Write down step-by-step instructions and save them in one place for future use. This will help reduce decision fatigue and is how systems are developed!

To be most productive, you should time block your day at work. Group similar tasks and use 60-90 minute “focus” blocks. For example, maybe you’ll plan to tackle email, calls, and administrative work in the first hour of your workday (before business operating hours begin).

Leave some buffer time in between each task so that if/when things change or if something goes wrong, your entire day isn’t affected. And don’t forget to include break times as well! Leave time blocked for lunch, a quick “reset”, etc. so that you don’t become overwhelmed. If you are optimizing productivity with time blocking and leaving a few minimal spaces for “resets”, you’ll be more efficient in the working hours!

Another thing that will optimize productivity for your small business is trying the “Now/Next/Later” system. The idea behind this technique is that it’s more “structured” than a to-do list.

• Now = what you’re doing today
• Next = your immediate upcoming tasks
• Later = ideas you have for the future and backlog

This system, unlike long to-do lists, helps keep your brain free of clutter and reduces overwhelm.

Eliminating hidden “time wasters” will also increase productivity. Watch for constant app switching, time spent searching for files, and emails you’re seemingly rewriting multiple times. Minimizing the tools used, creating templates for regularly sent communication, and having good organization in place will help you maintain optimum efficiency and fuel better productivity.

The trick to organizing small business digital files is to keep it simple; don’t overcomplicate it! Go digital when you can to reduce physical clutter and scan important documents for filing immediately so nothing is lost. Establish a universal folder structure, such as:

• Business Name
  • 01 – Admin
  • 02 – Finances
  • 03 – Clients
  • 04 – Marketing
  • 05 – Operations

Be sure to also have an established file naming convention and one home for all files. For example, file names may be something such as: “DATE_PROJECT NAME_FILE VERSION/TYPE” (Make sure you enter the date the same way each time, such as YYYY-MM-DD.) We recommend using a cloud system such as Google Drive, Dropbox, or OneDrive for all digital filing. Avoid splitting documents/files across multiple platforms to keep things easy and streamlined.

While we recommend going digital at your small business when able, you’ll inevitably have some paper files as well. Keep legal documents, contracts, and tax records in your physical files on site. (We, of course, recommend storing a digital copy of each file for backup as well!) When organizing your paper files, use three categories.

• Action files
• “To file”
• Archive

Anything outside of these three categories = clutter! Once a week, clear your desk and file or scan everything that you haven’t already. (Scanning files in immediately is our recommendation, but we know that isn’t always a possibility!) Other papers around the office should be discarded.

To organize your small business team and operations, you want to define roles and set up a central task system. Clearly define roles within your business – confusion kills efficiency! Identify what each member of your team owns and ensure everyone knows who decides what. Start with screen-recorded videos and simple checklists. Write down/document everything before you start delegating tasks to avoid repeating yourself or having others do things differently than you want.

Set up a central task system. Trello and Asana are great options, or you can use a basic shared doc. Using these systems, you can track tasks, deadlines, and ownership. Establish a weekly reset routine. Set aside 60-90 minutes each week to review tasks, clean out your inbox, organize files, and plan for the next week. This helps prevent chaos from building up!

You’ve come to the right place! It is possible to have an organized small business even if you feel you’re “naturally disorganized”. One big tip we have is to keep things visible. Use dashboards and keep task lists in front of you to avoid “out of sight, out of mind”. When you’re able, reduce steps. If something takes five or more steps, you likely won’t do it; limit tasks to only 1-2 steps instead.

As I said, establish email templates to save yourself time and energy. Create auto-invoices and set up calendar scheduling links to do the same. Start simple when first starting out by only having one task manager, one file storage system, one weekly planning session, etc. And, again, basic checklists are your friend! You do not have to be an “organized person” to create and follow checklists!

If you’ve got the drive and stamina to build a small business, you have what it takes to organize one! But if you read this and think, “I’m still not so sure,” or feel completely and totally over your head when it comes to getting your business’ organization established…reach out! Our inbox is always open, and we’d be happy to help you take your small business to the next level of success.

Looking forward to hearing from you,

Tonia