Clean Up Your Business

This is quite possibly my favorite week of the year, right between two major holidays and it’s still pretty quiet in most businesses. With so many people heading out for post-Christmas sales, there are some of us who like to take advantage of this time to get really productive and ready for the new year.

Even when I worked in a corporate setting, this was the week when we encouraged our staff to clean up their desks, give files to the intern team to handle and restock.

As an entrepreneur you can easily do the same, utilizing this time to develop some systems in your business for the next year.  There are some amazing benefits to starting the year off fresh that I wanted to share today.

With a consciously stocked office you’ll minimize trips out and orders online

The first year in my business my accountant was astonished I didn’t have receipts for stamps, printer paper, a fax machine, or file folders. That wasn’t because I didn’t keep receipts but because I didn’t use those things to run my business.

Consciously decide what you need to keep your business running and if you need stamps and printer paper, by all means buy them!

It helps to know how much you use because overstocking can be an unnecessary expenditure and take up valuable space. I write on the last ream of paper in my office closet “reorder printer paper” and I set monthly reminders to check my ink levels in the printer so I can order backups when my office supply store has a sale.

This week determine what you’ll need for the first quarter 2012 and buy it now. In addition to feeling ready for the business of the New Year you’ll have fewer errands in the coming months.

Planning helps to solidify your intent

Earlier this year I wrote about how you can plan for success by having the tools in place to take on new clients. This goes a step further to mentally prepare you for that shift. This may manifest in file folders for your client cabinet, empty and ready for new clients or a stack of new thank you cards for your 2012 affiliate partners.

Take your 2012 plans and consider what you may need to support that goal. If you need support around seeing the process ahead of you and all the details then I’d love to chat – these are some of the very projects I work on with my private clients to launch their businesses in 2012.

Cleaning out the old gives you a fresh mental start

There’s something about holding on to old files that makes my heart sink and stomach twist. Sometimes it’s a poor reminder of what happened, what could have been and where you used to be.

Let it go.

Whether that means sending files you’ve held on to back to that client (if you didn’t have a transition plan in place for content) or deleting your duplicate copies: it can be wonderfully freeing to get that space back.

If you’re in a business where you may need files for reference or legal reasons then invest in online storage. Whatever solution you chose, don’t place it online or in a file drawer right next to the awesome clients you have now and all their great stuff. Clear it out of your mental and physical vision so you can focus on the great things ahead, not the not-so-great things behind.

As you’re preparing keep an action list

This is one of my favorite tactics, whether I’m cleaning around the house or organizing my office to take on 2012.  While you’re working keep a pad of paper nearby for all those thoughts that pop into your head.

Maybe when you’re tossing an envelope from an Amazon order you’ll remember that book you were going to send a client. Or when you recycle your conference name badge you’ll be reminded of the workshop you wanted to give next fall. Sometimes a physical object remains in our possessions as a reminder of some action we want to take.

Instead of holding onto unsentimental reminders, take action.

Pretty it up

One of the reasons that I became an entrepreneur is because I didn’t want to surround myself with the  ideals of a company I did not support.  I consciously chose my work, my model, and the clients whom I serve. In the same way I no longer work in an environment that was a mismatch of ideals, I want my office to perfectly express me.

In my home that means a desk that was passed down three generations, a whole lot of reference books and resource material and some of my favorite photography on the walls. It’s a space that I love to work in and brings me joy.

How about your space? Is it enjoyable, pretty, clean and classy? Do you get enough light and air and does it smell good (or at the least not smell bad!)?

Take some time and energy this week to make changes to the physical space whether that be getting a new chair, bringing in a second monitor or simply opening the window for fresh air.