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.

(4) Perfect your office space

If you’re working from home, ensuring you have the perfect office space is crucial to your productivity. Items such as a comfortable office chair, high speed internet and a multifunction printer which doubles up as a scanner can help you to get the most out of your home office.

(5) Declutter your email

It may be frustrating the first time, but sorting out your email can provide lots of time. Create folders for “to be read” and “actioned”, sectioned off for different clients.

It only takes a few seconds to delete one junk message but deleting an irrelevant newsletter every day could consume over 30 minutes a week. Time is precious! Unsubscribe to anything you don’t regularly read.

Checking emails can sap your productivity. Set aside specific times to send and reply to emails.

(6) Pay your people

A pet peeve for freelancers is when they have to chase their payments. They’ve done the work so should be paid on time. Ensure you are up-to-date with all invoicing including wages, overtime and other benefits.

Track payments and expenditure as you go along so you don’t end up with nasty surprises at the end of the month.

(7) Communication is key

Effective communication plays an integral role in any business. Do all your employees know about changes in the company? Make sure everyone is up-to-date with a quick email and ensure you have the time to respond to changes and take advantage of evolving opportunities.

Running a business effectively depends on time. You will frequently be pulled in different directions. While you can’t stop being interrupted, you can set aside time for different tasks that require your attention, while delegating other responsibilities to managers and heads of departments.

Once you’ve gotten yourself and your employees organised, there’s nothing to stop you!

Chris Ralph is the marketing manager at Printerland

Image: Shutterstock