As online marketers and managers of extremely large pay per click ad campaigns we have a ton of data and information all over the place. If your stats tracking isn’t up to par, then the whole campaign and business is a mess. The same can be said for how you run your business and life style. Think about all of the different documents, papers, notes and information you and your business deal with on a daily basis! I bet it’s quite overwhelming. The amount of mail, invoices and bills you get is probably overwhelming in itself.
It doesn’t have to be this way!
We are in the age of the internet and it should now be easier than ever to run your business with fewer distractions and papers all over the place. This is something I still struggle with, but I have been getting much better at it over the years and here are a few of my favorite methods for de-cluttering, reducing distractions and improving my overall business and minimizing stress.
Your Email is Your Friend
I can honestly run my business from anywhere as long as I have access to my email and internet. Email is the core of my business – it’s where I store the majority of my contacts and items I need to take care of. When I need to remind myself about something, I take out my smart phone and send an email to myself with a short title on what needs to be done, which I see when I get back to my desk.
Clean Your Desk
Speaking of desks… how dirty and cluttered is yours right now? Every few weeks I like to take a look at what’s on my desk and just throw it all on the floor and go through a clean sweep. There is nothing better than having a super clean desk for you to work at. Not only does this free up your work space, but it also removes all of the smaller items and built up papers that you have been meaning to get to, but aren’t a top priority. De-clutter your desk, throw out the garbage and work on what needs to be taken care of.
Set Up Automatic Payments
No one likes to pay bills, especially if you are getting late charges on them. An excellent way to save time and money is to set up automatic payments for all your bills, which you can do with Visa Business. Another great option you should look into is using online payments and invoicing systems so people can pay you right away and you won’t have to deal with getting checks in the mail and then bringing them to the bank. The majority of businesses and entrepreneurs are using online payments, credit cards and direct deposit… you should too!
The Less Paper, the Better
Excess paper is the worst! An excellent way to deal with your invoices, important papers and anything else taking up space is to scan your documents into your computer and then rip up the paper. You can also take a quick picture with your smart phone and have it in your records. Send anything important or that needs to be taken care of over to your email for future reference.
The Future of “The Cloud”
Nearly everything I mentioned goes back to using some form of internet or technology to clean up your clutter and get your information in order. Through the use of the cloud, more and more companies are storing their information safely online and can access all of their records and data from anywhere in the world at any time. This is something you should definitely consider if you are dealing with an overload of papers and would like to have access to your docs anywhere and anytime.
These tips for cleaning up the clutter and establishing more efficient business operations can drastically improve your business and reduce the stress that comes with running a business.
I am blogging on behalf of Visa Business and received compensation for my time from Visa for sharing my views in this post, but the views expressed here are solely mine, not Visa’s. Visit http://facebook.com/visasmallbiz to take a look at the reinvented Facebook Page: Well Sourced by Visa Business. The Page serves as a space where small business owners can access educational resources, read success stories from other business owners, engage with peers, and find tips to help businesses run more efficiently. Every month, the Page will introduce a new theme that will focus on a topic important to a small business owner’s success. For additional tips and advice, and information about Visa’s small business solutions, follow @VisaSmallBiz and visit http://visa.com/business.
