As a manager of a small business this topic might seem odd to you. Well, in fact it is a common perception of many small business operators that there is not much need to specifically cater to organizing needs, especially when it comes to strategic planning decisions. And the basic reason behind this notion is a belief that there is too little to manage and that this is a small task that can be handled easily at a latter stage. In most cases, this latter stage never comes and you have this important realization that organization plays a vital role only when you can't locate an important file on time or you've just forgotten to file an important paper within the deadline, because obviously you've simply forgotten it among other important chores.
The idea that organizing should be left to the bigger businesses is no longer practical. Small or big, a business needs to be highly organized in every aspect to win. Don't let success fade away from you because you've been shying away from such an easy task as organizing. Just follow these rules of good organization at your workplace and see the difference for yourself:
o Clear Job Definitions - Just because there are only a few people and everybody seems to be doing everything, it does not mean that nobody is responsible for an error. Have a clear profile in your plans as to who is supposed to do what and while delegating tasks be specific about the roles and authorities, to avoid any negligence in the operations at a latter stage.
o Internal Communication - It cannot be like a family. You can live like one, but still follow some basic principles while at work. Establish a hierarchy and accordingly a communication plan for your office to avoid any havoc or ego-related issues.
o Add reminders - Whether on your computer or on a separate planner, write down every important date. Don't think that you can remember everything. You just cannot afford to miss things.
o Finances - Be organized about how you spend and where you spend. Being a small business, you might not be answerable to many, but this pattern of managing is certainly not the way to success. Keep accurate accounts separately for your personal expenses. This not only helps the two patterns of spending separate but also acts as an important performance indicator.
o Filling and Maintaining Business Cards - These two are the most common things that you and your staff would be constantly look out for if you don't pay enough attention to being organized. Have different color codes, different drawers for different services, separate folders with name tags, every file with its own number, different card holders as per client differentiation, and use all other means to locate these items easily. Make a one-minute rule: It should not take you more than one minute to locate a file or a card.
