Ah, springtime. The time of year when flowers are budding, birds are chirping, and warmer winds are blowing. It’s also a time when people purge their houses of dirt, dust, and debris … aka spring cleaning.
But spring cleaning doesn’t just apply to houses anymore. Business owners can also take advantage of this wonderful time of year to get organized and make improvements by spring cleaning their business.
So, what are you waiting for, business owners? If you want to get your business on track for success, get cleaning!
Strategies To Spring Clean Your Small Business
Spring cleaning your business can show you what processes need improvement, help you streamline everyday operations, and give your company a nice breath of fresh air.
Are you ready to spring clean your small business? Here are six ways you can freshen things up at your company.
1. Tidy Up Your Website
It’s no secret that your small business website can help your business grow and evolve. But if you let much-needed changes fall through the cracks, your website can easily collect dust and damage your brand.
Chances are, your business has grown and changed during the last year. You might have revised your mission. Maybe you completely switched your business logo or color scheme. Either way, you should take time to scour your website for things that don’t line up with your business’s current brand.
Maybe there is some content on your business website that needs to be rewritten to better reflect your company’s offerings or target market. Or, maybe your website just looks completely outdated and needs a little love. Believe me when I say this … fixing little details (even CTAs or text) can make a huge impact.
Don’t limit spring cleaning to the beginning of the year or springtime. Try to “spring” clean your website throughout the year and dedicate time for website cleaning year-round.
2. Deep Clean Your Books
While you’re scrubbing down the rest of your business in the springtime, don’t forget to deep clean your business’s books.
Your business accounting books are the epicenter of your business’s transactions and financial records. They can help you forecast your financial future and make smart decisions about your finances. But, none of this is actually possible if your books aren’t in tip-top shape.
As a business owner, take time every year to deep clean your business’s books (along with doing mini cleanings throughout the year). To organize your books, review files and accounts, sort your receipts, and digitize what you can. You should also keep your business and personal expenses separate.
Consider using accounting software to track transactions and make spring cleaning your books a breeze. That way, your books stay more organized throughout the year, and you can steer clear of accounting nightmares.
3. Dust Off Your Business Plan
I know some of you are guilty of it. And, it’s nothing to be ashamed of. That’s right … some of you create your business plan and set it on a shelf to collect dust. If you’re guilty of this, now is the perfect time to dust off your business plan and revisit it.
Businesses constantly develop and change. And because your company is ever-changing, your business plan should be, too.
Set aside time each year to spring clean your business plan. Reflect on the past year and ask yourself what kind of changes your business has made in the last 365 days. Did you add or remove products? Are you targeting a new market? Or, did you completely change up your business structure? If you did, mention it in your plan.
Remember, entrepreneurs: your business plan is the foundation of your company. Take the time to revisit it each year.
4. Freshen Up Your Marketing Strategies
There is no better time than the spring to take a step back to examine and freshen up your marketing strategies. Like your business, marketing tactics are constantly developing. And each day, a new marketing trend pops up.
Spend some time this spring sprucing up your marketing strategies. You can freshen things up by:
- Researching new marketing trends
- Investing in social media
- Automating tasks (e.g., email marketing)
- Going to a conference or trade show
- Revisiting your brand
- Analyzing last year’s data
5. Organize Your Inbox (And More)
As a busy business owner, things like emails, paperwork, and other documents can quickly pile up. I’ve been there. Heck, we’ve probably all been there at some point or another.
When you’re occupied by your business, it’s easy to become disorganized. Emails stack up and, as soon as you know it, your inbox is an absolute disaster.
Use the springtime as an opportunity to purge your inbox. Sure, it’s a semi-painful and time-consuming process. But, you’ll feel energized and organized after you clear out those pesky emails.
While you’re clearing out your inbox, you can also do some other digital spring cleaning. Go through old files on your computer and delete unnecessary documents and folders.
To make things more efficient going forward, consider creating specific folders to sort your documents (e.g., “Business Plan Information”). That way, you can easily access your work without having to search through hundreds of documents to find what you need.
6. Declutter The Office
Now for the “fun” part … actually cleaning your office and workspace. If you want to literally spring clean your business, give your office a deep cleaning.
Doing some decluttering around the office will do your business some good. After all, tossing out trash, dusting, and vacuuming never hurt anybody, right? Plus, it doesn’t hurt to do some extra cleaning during this coronavirus age.
Spring cleaning your workspace can make you feel refreshed and organized. Not only will your workplace look better, but you might also feel better, too.
This article was written by Make Kappel with Forbes. For this article and more, visit: https://www.forbes.com/
