Archiving and Opportunity – April’s Top Tip

Now is the time of year to do some seriously simple organising that will have a positive impact on both you and your workplace!

Archiving is an excellent opportunity to cull all your files and create the ‘space’ (both mental and physical) for new things in the year ahead. How often do you take the opportunity to archive?

Here are some guidelines:

Choose your archive boxes carefully – plastic protects archives from moisture and rodents but check for the rail either side to hang your files.

Clearly label each box on both ends and sides

Create a label with:

• Archive or Box Number
• Area of the business files are from
• Summary of Contents
• Year documents were created
• Year to be destroyed

Make a simple archive record by printing 3 copies of the label – 2 for the box and put one into a display book in number order.  Alternatively use Excel or Access to make it searchable

Recently a Sorted4Life Biz in a Box consulting client said Sorted4Life helped them to figure out how to pull apart, find cracks and put back together their work, life and business.

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“It is not the strongest of the species that survive, nor the most intelligent, but the one most responsive to change” Charles Darwin

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• Testimonial: Sorted4Business
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• Being the Best you can be

Relevant Reporting

Reports are how you find out if your team is taking your business in the direction that you want it to go.  They can be simple and the key is to make them effective.

It is like using a map to take you on holiday.  You choose a destination – plan the route and use the signposts along way to make sure you are still heading in the right direction.

Here are some guidelines to setting up your reporting;

-  Have clear overall business goals – your destination

-  Set clear goals for members of your team – their destinations

-  Identify milestones or regular performance indicators that they can report back to you – the signposts

-  Make sure you use the information to keep on track and if you are going off track to take action – if you get lost use the map to find the route to your destination

Keep your reporting Regular, Relevant and remember to React if you are going off the track.

• Being the Best you can be
• Being Profitable
• Balancing Business and Lifestyle
• Science of Selling
• Valuing Time

Business Expansion, How, What, When, Is It Viable?

So you want to expand your business?  With my passion for organising I get very excited when I hear this!

Be clear what ‘expanding’ means to you.  Doubling your turnover, doubling your profit (a very big difference between to two!), setting up in a different state, employing more staff to share the workload so you aren’t working around the clock.

What is your reason for wanting to expand?

Look at how your business is currently operating.  Is it

• Reaching turnover and profit targets
• Looking after the staff making sure they are living balanced lives
• Providing customers the desired standard of product and or services
• Giving you (the business owner) what you want out of life

If the answer to any of the above is no I suggest you improve the current model before you consider expanding.  Any weaknesses in the systems will be emphasised – if your time is already stretched expanding might lead to an increase in demand for your time.

Once you have your current business model organised it makes expansion much easier.  Imagine employing some when you have a “How To’ manual covering their roles and responsibilities plus details of how to carry them out.  Set up clear reporting requirements – if you employ more people you need to be able to supervise them effectively – especially if they are interstate or off site.

Consider your role as the business owner.  The requirement to work on the big picture will increase and so reduce your ‘hands on’ time.  Check with your accountant if this is viable.  Do you want to work at a management level if you enjoy the hands on aspects of the business?

The following also needs to be taken into consideration

• Will your current systems cater for expansion.
• Is your software and hardware able to process increased data eg if you only have one phone line is that enough with increased sales/enquiries
• Are your physical premises suitable
• Are your current staff adequately trained

These aspects are purely related to being organised– you also need to work with your accountant to check the expansion plans are viable, is there a larger market out there to sustain expansion, what are the risks and how are you going to manage them?

Have a look at how you can improve the efficiency of your current operations.  You might be able to reach your desired outcomes without having to expand.  Don’t rush into it and make sure you are organised and prepared for a number of possible scenarios both good and bad.

Hot Tip

If the expansion goes to plan look at what your role in the business will be and make sure that is where you want to be!

• Brains of Business Expansion – How, What, When is it viable?
• Balancing Business and Lifestyle
• Valuing Time
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• Science of Selling