Let's Get Organized!

Blog Layout

Let's Get Organized!

SmartChoice Business Assistance • Jan 12, 2021

How to Get Organized and Get More Done!

How many times have you vowed to be more organized?! Only to end up a few days later

drowning in papers, searching for a pen, wondering where your phone is….

As a virtual assistant, one thing I have learned about getting organized is that we are all unique!

Your systems have to make sense for you. Maybe you love a pen and planner, or are all about

Calendly and Google Drive (like me). Either way, customizing your systems will help you find

organizational success!

Whether you love it or hate it, having the right organizational systems in place is critical to

success as a small business owner. A survey of over 18,000 business leaders showed 57% of

employees waste approximately 6 hours per week by being disorganized.

Benefits of Getting Organized

You’ll be less stressed. Feeling overwhelmed, searching for lost items, and missing appointments all cause your body to release the stress hormone cortisol. “Less mess equals less stress.”
You’ll save time. The average person wastes at least 15 minutes a day searching for misplaced items. If everything has a place, you’ll be much more efficient.
You’ll be more productive. Less time searching means more time working on essential tasks.
You’ll be less likely to miss appointments or forget pressing jobs.
You’ll be more likely to reach your goals. Keeping track of your goals, the steps, and target timelines will help keep you accountable.

It even has health benefits! We are more likely to make better choices (such as meal prep and planning or an exercise schedule) if we organize our time.

I have been helping other entrepreneurs get organized for several years. Here is a round-up of my all-time favourite top 11 tips. I hope they come in handy!

Create a system for jotting down notes and tasks as they come to you. (It could be post-it notes all over your desk, but there is a better way!) Make use of technology and get your hands on an app like Trello or Google Tasks.
Dedicate a workspace, declutter and manage it well. Research from Princeton University shows we are less able to focus when our desks are cluttered. Constantly seeing reminders of disorganization drains your cognitive resources and makes it more difficult for your brain to concentrate on one task.
Organize your appointments, calls and video chats with a tool like Calendly, Acuity or Google Calendar. Keep appointments, to-do’s and goal lists all in one place, so you know exactly where to look.
Invest in a reliable customer management system like Salesforce, Zoho or HubSpot. It helps keep you organized and can improve customer retention by up to 27%.
Organize receipts, expenses and invoices with a tool such as Quickbooks or Wave. Take pics of receipts and scan them with your phone. It’s so easy!
Organize your time – Start by planning your day the night before, prioritize tasks, and do the jobs you dread first to get them out of your way.
Organize and track your big goals, so they don't get swept aside in the everyday chaos. Keeping a journal, planner, or goal tracker helps you stay on track and keeps you accountable. Write down your goal and give yourself a timeline.
Plan your social media ahead of time. Once you block your time to get all those posts done at once, you’ll feel so much lighter knowing it’s taken care of. We like either Hootsuite or Canva.
Go paperless whenever possible. Make the best use of technology. I often hear from clients that it's easier than they expected.
Make organization a priority, or it won't happen. Pay attention to your habits, strengths and weaknesses. When is your most productive time? Do you tend to procrastinate? Find what works best for you, and implement habits you can keep long-term. “Organizing is a practice, not a project.” (Meagan Francis)
Say no to tasks you don’t need to do. Do your best only to take on what you can handle – outsource and delegate.

Putting the time in to organize, developing systems, and discovering tools will help ensure you

are making the most of your time. You'll increase productivity, be more efficient, and less

stressed.

Do you have any tips that help keep you organized? We’d love to hear from you!

< Older Post Newer Post >

Planning Business Parties: Summer Edition

By Alyson Scott • 26 May, 2023

Everyone enjoys a great business party to kick off the summer season! Do you know how to plan for a business party? Here are the best ways to plan your next business party.

6 Biggest Time Wasters for Entrepreneurs

By Alyson Scott • 26 Jul, 2022

Save Time by Delegating Tasks to a Virtual Assistant. As a small business owner, there aren't enough hours in the day to get everything done! Your time is precious, and not all tasks are created equally. Say goodbye to these top 6 time wasters for entrepreneurs so that you can focus on the most critical areas of your business. 6 Biggest Time Wasters for Entrepreneurs: 1. Meetings. Whether you meet with clients, vendors or employees, prioritize and respect your time. Does it need to be a full meeting, or would a quick call or email do the trick? Look for other, easier ways to communicate. And if you need a face-to-face or virtual meeting, set a boundary beforehand as to how much time you have to dedicate. 2. Online Distractions. Getting swept up in social media, checking your email, or reading texts can be a big distraction and time waster. Setting times to sort through your emails and messages can help you focus on the task at hand. 3. Routine and Repetitive Tasks. Not all tasks are created equally. What jobs can only YOU do in your business, and which tasks can you delegate? Try keeping a list for a week or two, jotting down all the things you do in a day, then look it over and see what tasks are eating up your time that could be passed off. 4. Outdated Tools. Using the right tool for the job can save you time and energy. A few of our favourite tools are Calendly and Acuity for scheduling meetings, Dubsado for customer management, and Mailchimp for email marketing. 5. Lack of Strategy and Systems. Does it feel like you’re spinning your wheels and not making any progress? Creating a strategy for growth with measurable goals will help create a clear direction in your business. While systems and routines help you make the most of your time by ensuring you are as efficient and productive as possible. 6. Overthinking and Second Guessing. One of our biggest time wasters as entrepreneurs (and a significant factor in holding ourselves back!) is second-guessing our actions, overthinking, and not taking chances. Once you’ve done the research, don’t be afraid to jump in! Second-guessing yourself, your choices, and your abilities will only you back. How a Virtual Assistant Can Help Save You Time Take on the repetitive tasks that consume your time and take you away from the work only YOU can do. Set you up with systems and strategies to help run your business as efficiently and effectively as possible. Introduce you to tools and new technologies to help make your life easier. Run interference with clients and vendors, so you only take on the necessary meetings and calls. You didn't become an entrepreneur to work 24/7 – be sure you aren't giving more of your time to your business than you need to. Say no to some of these big time wasters and set yourself up for success! Check out a list of what a Virtual Assistant can do for you! If there’s anything we can do to help you save time (so you can get back to your LIFE), reach out here .

Email Marketing – 5 Things You Need to Be Successful

By Alyson Scott • 24 May, 2022

How does a business owner use email marketing to grow? Here are 5 tips for email marketing to help you build a solid email marketing strategy!

How Much Does a Virtual Assistant Cost?

By Alyson Scott • 03 May, 2022

If business is booming and you’re ready to hire help (but aren’t quite at a point where you need a full-time staff), a VA might be right for you. A virtual business assistant can take time-consuming tasks off your plate, so you can get back to the work you love. At Smart Choice Business Assistance, our experienced VAs handle a multitude of jobs.