
- Bad filing system
If you have found that your business is suffering because you can’t find things, or you are always late for, or worse, always missing appointments, then it’s time to get organized. But there are so many things to keep organized! Where should you start?
Here are the two key systems you should begin with.
1) Your calendar. Even if you use an e-calendar like Outlook or ACT, you still need to figure out a system for keeping up with appointments, emails and contacts. A few tips:
-Title your appointments clearly.
-If you manage multiple people’s calendars, put the person’s name first on the appointment.
-Use auto-features to change the color of appointments. For instance, I use a different color for each person’s appointments on the calendar, and specific colors for out of the office activities.
-Take a course if you need it. A one day course can save you hours of frustration and can increase your productivity right away.
2) Your filing system. If you can’t find customer orders or receipts, then you can’t run a business.
I had a riding lawn mower in at a local repair shop, and when I would call to ask about whether it was ready, they could never tell me. So I went in person. They still couldn’t tell me. Can you believe this? The problem was they didn’t know a) which lawn mower was mine, b) what mechanic had been working on it, or c) where the mechanic was in the repair process. Then, once they finally found it and said they would deliver it to my home, they delivered the wrong one! Now THAT’S a filing system in need of repair! Can you imagine what their paper files must have looked like?!
Get these two in order first. Why? They are directly related to your customers. You need to know where you are supposed to be and when, and you need to be able to have the right papers with you.
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By Robert Clay
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