Spring cleaning for your business
By Michelle Post
There are books, blogs, websites and apps all about how to learn to let go of the things cluttering our lives. Spring cleaning is not just for your home but also for your office. And it is not just for your physical office but your digital office, too. It is easy to get overwhelmed, so make efforts to optimize, organize and let go, running your business instead of it running you.
Spring cleaning your business need not be daunting if you put a plan into place. I break my spring cleaning into four quadrants: My physical office space, my desk and filing cabinets, my electronics (laptop, phone, tablet) and my online accounts. Then I make a list of what must be done in each quadrant. I work on one quadrant at a time, always starting with an easy quadrant, so I get the immediate satisfaction of accomplishment. Review the graphic (right) for some specific ideas of how to spring cleaning your business.
Here are some additional resources that may help you with your business spring cleaning:
Backup software – www.carbonite.com/
Stop unwanted subscriptions – www.unroll.me/
Password organization – www.lastpass.com/
Computer optimization software – www.ccleaner.com/
4-Ds of Time Management (Do it, Delegate it, Defer it, Delay it) – www.coachingwithnlp.co/4-ds-of-time-management/
CamCard, business card software – www.camcard.com/
Organizational blogger Aby Garvey says organizing is a lifestyle, not an event. Although picking a time each year to review and implement these suggestions is a start, the end goal is to incorporate these into routines and ultimately into your everyday life.
Office Space
Remove unfinished projects & clutter from the space
Recycle magazines
Shred important papers (take them to shredding place)
Lighten up the space with bright bulbs or natural sunlight
Add positive words & images
Desk and Files
Go through inbox & use the 4-D time management system to handle each request
Remove piles of papers from desk (normally the pile goes up, but not down)
Organize files using a color coding system
Clean & organize drawers
Scan business cards into phone
Use organizers for desk equipment
Electronics
Backup hard drive to an external drive
Create a folder/filing system on hard drive to make it easy to find files
Run optimization & virus cleaning software on electronics
Delete old apps
Use a password organization system
Clean internet browser & temp files
Inventory your electronics & tag them
Online Presence
Clean out your email
Unsubscribe from newsletters
Cancel accounts you no longer use
Verify all information is correct
Delete old photos, videos, images & pins
Export your email files & backup, then clean out your folders to start fresh
Check your privacy settings for each social media account
