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Take time to remove these energy-draining items from your business.
Entrepreneurship is a growth experience.
But while you’re constantly focused on expansion, you may be inadvertently overlooking items that cause your business to contract.
In fact, a consistent push forward at all costs way of thinking can prevent even the most-savvy entrepreneurs from growing.
If you really want to make a difference in your business’s future success, it’s worth your time and effort to declutter unnecessary items from your day-to-day routines.
Here are five tips to help you declutter unwanted, worn-out, and stagnant items in your business.
1. Declutter your mindset.
The single most important thing that will determine your future success is your mindset. If you’ve been doing business with a mindset of lack, hardship, and struggle over the past several months, it’s time for a reset.
Take stock of what you’ve been recently thinking or believing about your business. Once you have those beliefs in mind, the next step is to do a 180-degree rewrite of that belief.
“Marketing is a struggle,” becomes,
We educate our customers and clients so they can get results.
“Productivity is so difficult,” becomes,
We create systems to make our business run like clockwork.”
See if you can come up with at least 10 mindset shifts you can work on and improve in your business over the next several months.
2. Declutter your computer desktop.
It can be difficult to do your best work if your workspace is a visual cacophony of documents, files, images, and videos.
Make the most of your digital filing system and take time to properly store digital materials. Get in the habit of digitally “putting items” away when you’re finished using them.
You can also create a set of mini-rules to follow whenever you’re working on a new project, such as creating a new project folder and subfolders.
Schedule regular desktop decluttering sessions and don’t forget to move unnecessary items over to the recycling or trash bin.
3. Declutter your business relationships.
It’s no surprise that draining or toxic relationships can jeopardize your business’ success. But when was the last time you took stock of your professional relationships?
Identify any relationships that are not serving you and your business’s best interests. These relationships may be found with vendors, partners, staff, customers, and clients.
Do what’s needed to reduce or eliminate contact with the party, terminate the relationship, or otherwise find a solution that will allow your business to move forward.
4. Declutter your office space.
Office spaces can be true material magnets. Look for areas in your office or workspace where items tend to pile. This could be the corner of a break room, an unused office or cubicle, a conference room closet, a suite entrance or a hallway.
Remove items that are no longer needed, used, or functional. Place archival client files in secure permanent storage, dispose of dried-up markers, pens, and correction fluid, shred and recycle paperwork, and return electronic equipment to storage closets.
If you’re having difficulty decluttering your space, imagine yourself walking into your work area as if you were a potential new client. What would they see immediately?
Would it be stacks of files, office supplies strewn about, and unwashed dishes in the break room? Keeping your potential client in mind, do what’s needed to tidy up and declutter your space.
5. Declutter your business operations.
Review your business’ existing operational systems and structures. This can be as basic as a filing system, client intake process, project meeting agenda, or vacation time policies.
Do a check for unclear instructions, confusing wording, redundant systems, and unnecessary steps. Simplify information as necessary, without losing the basic functionality of your systems and structures.
If your business is currently lacking in business policies and procedures, then take time to create some. Brainstorm ideas on paper and identify which policies and procedures you’d like to create and implement in the next few weeks and months.
