Ultimately, in business, time is money. Taking steps to get yourself and your staff organised will ensure productivity is high and goals are reached and there are many ways to help keep you calm and your business on track.

(1) Structure your day

No longer have a boss lingering over you? It could be difficult to motivate yourself.

Make sure you set a clear start and finish time for your working day. Decide on set times for regular breaks and don’t stay cooped up inside as brains need fresh air to function efficiently.

(2) To-do lists

You don’t want to chance forgetting a meeting that could potentially drum up big business. Organise priorities for the week and make a paper to-do list – but make it manageable. Don’t overwhelm yourself with reams of things that aren’t immediately relevant.

Ticking off stuff as you’ve done it will give you a sense of achievement. It’s also beneficial to put time aside to decide which tasks you can eliminate and who you can delegate tasks to.

(3) Dates for the diary

Can you rely on a good old paper diary or do you need a gadget? A smartphone or tablet will give you masses of storage space and are easily accessible at meetings.

No one needs to get an important call when their Bic has exploded and you definitely don’t want to have to choose between taking lunch or handling the reams of paperwork in your bag. An electronic device can easily help you take notes and keep your paper trail to a minimum.

Read the four remaining pearls of wisdom on getting organised on the next page.

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