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Organizing the Entrepreneur
©Vicki Norris, Restoring Order®
2003
www.RestoringOrder.com
503.625.5774
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Owning your own business is
hard enough. As an entrepreneur, you wear all the hats from CEO to janitor.
There are so many competencies required when you are calling all the shots.
Savvy business people know their strengths and turn their liabilities into
assets.
If setting up systems to
make your business run more efficiently is not your strength, follow the
example of his and hers entrepreneurs Geoff and Heather Kleinman of
www.Kleinman.com.
The couple own several
web-based business, and as their business grew, one day found themselves
sitting at haphazard desks, surrounded by cardboard boxes, and sifting
through piles of paper. Amazingly, they maintained highly functioning
businesses, but were paying for it in personal stress.
The Kleinmans called
Restoring Order® for an entrepreneur’s makeover.
If you want to “restore
order” to your productivity and put your business on the path to success,
invest in getting organized.
Tips for
Entrepreneurial Success
Commit to Your Priorities
Do you want to be the leader
in your field? Are you looking to create raving fans? Planning to retire
early? If you hope to achieve your Technicolor dreams, now is the time to
invest in your priorities. Rather than being “nickled and dimed” by clutter
and poor systems, invest in the process of getting your business organized.
Things of value require an investment. You can measure the strength of your
priorities by the investment you are willing to make in them.
Investigate What IS
Working
Before you begin berating
yourself for your disorder, stop and celebrate that which you are doing
well. Do you return messages on time? Is your PDA working wonders for you?
By noting your strengths, you can model after success. If your PDA and
computer are buzzing with efficiency, perhaps using technology in other
areas (lead generation and tracking, for example) would be effective.
Admit What is NOT Working
Make a list of your
frustrations and concerns. Do you have a filing system that works? Are your
daily tasks manageable? Does paper have a flow through your office? Are your
five calendars causing things to fall through the cracks? Group your list
into paper, space, and time management issues.
Assess the Costs of
Disorder
Now, list what it is
costing you to be disorganized in your entrepreneurial venture.
Productivity? Credibility? Stress? Lost leads, which means lost income? An
ulcer?
Realize that this list is
blocking you from achieving your priorities. This list is your catalyst for
change.
Examine Your Causes of
Disorder
Organizing is like
counseling. You first have to figure out how you got here before you can get
out of the place you’re in. If you truly want lasting change in your
business and in your office, you will have to find out how you arrived in
this place of chaos. Sure, it may be that you never set up good systems in
the first place. However, it could also be that your time management is not
supporting your office. If you allow no planning time, your systems have no
chance to succeed. It could be as simple as crummy office furniture, or too
much superfluous stuff crowding your space. Once you identify your causes of
disorder, you will be more likely to reap lasting benefits from your
investment in organizing.
Review Your Job
Description
As you talk through your job
description, your daily tasks will come to light. These tasks are the basis
for your systems. From processing to projects, you will need a way to manage
the various aspects of your business. The sharp entrepreneur will simplify
these daily processes to expedite their progress to their goals.
Reclaim Your Environment
Systems will only go so far.
If you create a fabulous filing system that empowers your start-up business,
but the file cabinet is blocked by clutter, you won’t maintain your new
system. The entrepreneur that wants to reclaim his or her business will
tackle the burden of clutter invading the office. If at all possible, the
office should be reserved solely for business purposes. After eliminating
unnecessary or nomadic items, remaining items should be evaluated by
frequency of use and point of use.
Enlist an Expert
If you know what isn’t
working, and you know how much it is costing you, but you have no idea where
to start, it’s time to call the experts at Restoring Order®. Let us
help you take your project from overwhelm to overdrive. Our consultants put
business owners in the driver’s seat. Taming your office and creating
intuitive systems allows you to work in your strengths, and maximize your
time.
For more information on
Restoring Order®, call 503.625.5774, or visit
www.RestoringOrder.com. Reclaim Your Life®!
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