A lot of things have to fall into place in order for your business to run smoothly, but success often depends on the simplest things, like organization.
Without the right organizational methods, things will fall through the cracks. Not to mention, you’ll be left with frustrated employees and customers.
Ensure your business has a firm foundation by following these organizational tips that will make managing your business a breeze.
Get Rid of the Paperwork
If you’re still dealing with paperwork, you’re probably spending way more time sorting it, filing it, and retrieving it than you should be. In today’s world, you can file everything electronically, saving you time and money.
For example, expense management software can help you deal with expenses without dealing with receipts. Employees can create and submit expenses, and you can approve them as soon as they’re submitted, without the need to deal with a pile of receipts on your desk at the end of the month.
Schedule Strategically
Scheduling is an important part of any business. Your employees probably pose the biggest scheduling challenge, so understanding the best way to manage their time is a must.
You also have to think about scheduling appointments, events, and more, but you have to think bigger than just marking dates on your calendar. You need to think strategically.
For example, if you know you’ll be facing tight deadlines in the spring, it’s not a good idea to schedule trade shows and other events. Another business may give employees more time off in the fall in anticipation of the holidays, when things get busy.
By thinking big-picture like this, not only can you eliminate stress later on down the road, you help your employees prepare for what’s to come.
Manage Expectations
You absolutely have to manage expectations among your employees. As mentioned above, thinking strategically and sharing that information with everyone is one way to manage their expectations for time off, but you also have to make sure everyone knows what to expect from every other member of your team.
Every employee should know every detail of the scope of their job. They should know what work they are responsible for, and who to ask if they have questions. This ensures important reports don’t fall through the cracks, and it reduces frustration between employees.
It’s not just your employees that have expectations that need to be managed. You also have to think about managing the expectations of your customers.
If you don’t deliver what your customer expected, you can bet they won’t come back for more. Managing customer expectations means underpromising and overdelivering, and it means making sure they know exactly how to get a hold of you if there is a problem.
Help Employees Reach Goals
Every employee has goals they need to reach. There are daily goals, weekly goals, and more long-term goals they need to reach in order to contribute to your business. Helping your employees reach those goals is important.
That means making sure their goals are clear, but it also means providing them with incremental steps they can take to reach those goals. It means requesting their input when it comes to making goals, and providing them with support on their journey.
It’s not just work goals that your employees are interested in! Be willing to support their goals outside the office. For example, support an employee’s favorite cause or provide reimbursement for classes they take. The extra support will make them feel happier, ultimately making them better employees.
Design Your Space for Convenience
Don’t forget about the space itself! Poorly designed spaces can waste time and frustrate employees, causing them to lose focus. On the other hand, a productive office space allows them to relax and concentrate.
A few tips for designing a convenient office space include:
- Labeling cabinets where important office supplies can be found.
- Arranging desks for privacy and/or collaboration, depending on your needs.
- Decluttering by getting rid of empty desks, extra office chairs, and outdated equipment.
- Creating a universal sign, like wearing headphones, when employees don’t want to be disturbed.
- Making time for employees to spend organizing their individual spaces.
Staying organized can be a huge challenge, especially for businesses with multiple employees, but it isn’t impossible. You just have to make a commitment and stick to it! With the tips on this list, you can organize your office space, get rid of paperwork, and manage expectations among your employees and customers to eliminate frustration and increase your bottom line.