According to a recent article in the LA Times, despite their resolve to do better each year, small-business owners often end up pushing time for organization to the bottom of their to-do lists. Yet a disorganized desk and office can be a drain on time and the bottom line.
If you can't find a client's file, notes from the last sales meeting or an important telephone number in 30 or fewer seconds, your methods are costing you money in terms of lost sales and lower productivity, not to mention mental stress, experts say.
"Getting organized is truly our only hope to stay ahead of the game, to stay productive and to stay competitive," said president of NAPO. The biggest challenge for most small-business owners is paperwork, despite technology-inspired dreams of a paperless office.
To help conquer the paper storm, Container Store (CS) is coming out with new lines of office organization products. Target Corp. is also answering the demand for office products with personality. Its line of organizing tools from Real Simple magazine sports the trendy colors of orange, hot pink and chocolate brown.
Having the proper tools solves only part of the organization equation, experts say. To be a success, you need an organizing system tailored to your needs and a commitment to spend the time to keep it up. "It's about the client; it's not about the stuff.”
People have messy offices for several reasons. First, they try to do everything themselves, the typical time-draining habit of small-business owners. Second, they are perfectionists. That leads to indecision and procrastination. They can't decide what to do with that e-mail document, so they let it pile up with the other unanswered electronic correspondence. Or they may be holding out for the perfect file cabinets, which they don't have time to shop for, so paperwork piles up on the floor. Last, they don't allow themselves time at the end of the day to stop for 15 or 30 minutes to get organized for the next day.
Most don't cry uncle until they realize how much their inefficient ways are costing them. For some, hiring a professional is worth the price. When you hire an organizer, "it is an expense that has a duration. It ends. Where if you are disorganized, the cost goes on forever." For the full article LA Times
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