Your business is a success. Your clients love you and your expertise is in demand. The finances are good, healthy cash flow and yet you feel out of control. You have thousands of unread emails, your calendar is all over the place and your to-do list is unreadable.
If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Just this week, I spoke with a successful business owner, who has built a fantastic reputation. They introduced themselves as an absolute shambles when it comes to organisation. A total mess is how they described their admin.
Administration is a skill and isn’t always easy for everyone. Many successful professionals struggle with the organisational side of running a business. The good news, you can get some Help With That.
The Hidden Cost of Disorganisation
You might think that a messy inbox and chaotic calendar are a minor inconvenience. You might feel rising dread when you miss an important event again. That is stress you don’t need to have in your life.
Let’s do the math. If you spend 30 minutes every day searching for emails, you will waste a significant amount of time. Apologising for missing a meeting or backing out because of a diary clash also adds up. This is time you could have spent earning money. Not to mention the stress in feeling like you are letting people down.
What about all the opportunities you missed because you didn’t respond? You double booked yourself? or just forgot?
Why This Happens?
Well you may have started with some solid processes in place and the greatest of intention. Once the business lifts off, success begins to happen. When do you have the time to review the processes? When can you refine and perfect them?
You built your business through hard work and determination. The filing system or database are not a priority. The processes you implemented at the start up point will likely be outdated and even unsuitable for the growth phase.
As your business grows, your system of managing emails, tasks and appointments need attention too.
You may think:
- I don’t have time to learn a new system
- I’ll get to it later
- I know where everything is
The reality? It’s costing you time, causing you stress and holding your business back. The longer you put off sorting your systems, the more overwhelming it becomes.
The Simple Fix: A Smarter Way to Work
The goal isn’t to give you a pep-talk and turn you into an organisational ninja overnight. It is about setting up simple, low-maintenance systems that will ease the pressure and make life easier. Here are three steps to get started:
- Inbox Detox and a Digital Declutter: Unsubscribe from the junk, create priority folders and use those search functions properly.
- Calendar and Task Management Overhaul: Use scheduling tools, implement a reminder system and get your calendar in order.
- Delegate What You Can: If administration isn’t your strength, stop trying to do it all yourself. Get some Help With That. A virtual assistant can set up systems that work for you. You can then focus your time on the work that you enjoy. The work that makes you money. The work that is the reason you started your business.
Ready to Change Your Life?
If you are a self confessed shambles when it comes to all things admin. Or maybe you have big plans and ambitions that don’t include reading 136 emails a day. Get in touch. Let me organise your inbox, calm your calendar and put some systems in your spreadsheets. If you are local to the Altrincham area I am happy to work in person as well as virtually.
Small tweaks can save you hours every week, reduce your stress and make you business, well, better.
Not sure where to start? Book a call in. Let’s find out what’s eating up your time. We’ll implement the changes and get you back on top of your life.