As a business owner, you’ve got a lot on your plate. Even the smallest inconvenience can make you and your team less productive. However, you can keep your business running efficiently by implementing a few simple organization hacks. Take a look at the tips below to learn how you can get your small business team organized and improve productivity.
1. Get Small Business Wi-Fi
If your business still relies on wired devices like stationary desktop computers to access the internet, you’re way behind the times. And if you’re relying on a Wi-Fi network designed for home users, you’re still behind the times. In today’s business world, your employees need access to a variety of wireless devices in order to work efficiently. Providing small business Wi-Fi makes it easy for your team to access the internet from any device anywhere in the office.
When choosing your small business Wi-Fi provider, look for a plan that adapts to your business needs. This will help prevent you from overpaying for internet access. It will also ensure you have enough connectivity to perform business tasks efficiently.
2. Prioritize Project Management
Tackling projects without a plan can feel overwhelming. You don’t know which team members should be involved or who is responsible for different tasks. This is where project management is helpful. Project management encompasses all of the tasks involved with organizing your team to accomplish a business goal. It ensures everyone is on the same page about specific milestones, deadlines, and individual responsibilities.
Project management software can make project management easier by centralizing information in one place. This software links tasks to specific projects and makes it easy for the entire team to see the status of project deliverables.
3. Organize Your Passwords
Passwords protect critical information about your organization. So it’s essential to have different passwords for every business account. This prevents bad actors from hacking all of your accounts if they get access to one password. However, remembering complex phrases for every company system you use can be overwhelming. Ditch the list of passwords you keep next to your computer — please! — and start using a password manager.
A password manager stores all your company’s passwords in one program. Many also create unique access codes that are difficult to guess. This prevents you and your team from forgetting passwords and reduces your likelihood of getting hacked.
4. Use a Shared Calendar
Making a mental note about important dates and deadlines may have worked before you hired employees. However, now that you’re running a small business, it’s important that everyone on your team have access to a shared calendar. Group calendars provide an overview of your team’s schedule. This makes it easier to plan meetings without needing to contact each individual to check their availability.
Before choosing a shared calendar platform, there are a few things you should look for. You’ll want to make sure that the software has a simple interface. This will reduce the learning curve when you introduce the tool to your team. It’s also a good idea to find a group calendar that uses analytics to track how you spend your time. This will help you identify areas that are unnecessarily sucking up your most valuable resource.
5. Invoice With Ease
Most small business owners understand the importance of sending timely invoices. After all, forgetting to send an invoice means your company doesn’t get paid. However, if your invoices are created in multiple locations, it’s hard to track who you’ve invoiced and who you haven’t. This makes it easy to accidentally skip an invoice one month, costing your company money.
Save mental space and money by sending bills and collecting payments from one system. Billing software can help companies streamline the invoice process. This saves your accounting team time and prevents costly missed invoices.
6. Control Your Inbox
With the average office employee receiving 121 emails daily, there’s a good chance your team’s inbox is overflowing. Sifting through each message is time-consuming and can interrupt your employees’ workflow when it’s done throughout the day. Teaching your team how to better manage their email can help improve efficiency and decrease stress.
One way you can help reduce your team’s daily emails is by encouraging them to unsubscribe from newsletters and other emails they rarely read. Doing so helps prevent inbox clutter, making it easier to find the messages that matter.
7. Put Your Office in Order
Does your office have boxes of supplies lying around or stacks of paper collecting on desks? If so, you’re increasing the likelihood of losing important documents and supplies. Additionally, cluttered workspaces increase stress, making your team more likely to experience burnout.
Clear away the cobwebs and spend a few days organizing your office. If your workspace is small, consider installing vertical shelves. This will help provide additional storage without taking up much space. Another great option for reducing clutter is going paperless. Rather than keeping track of hundreds of files, make digital scans of essential company documents and store them in the cloud.
Get Organized and Grow
You and your team have a lot to manage. If you want to level up your company’s efficiency and productivity, it’s essential that you stay organized. Doing so can help ensure your company runs smoothly as you grow.
