When a business isn't doing well, many frazzled business owners often look at their products, their employees, their operations, or their marketing strategy for flaws. What such owners don't realize is that problems in the business are merely signs that all's not well with the owner. And more often than not, everything starts at the owner's workspace.
Here are a few tips to increase productivity for yourself and your business:
#1 - Get rid of clutter in your workspace. Mounds of paperwork can have free task management a bad psychological effect on you, resulting in decreased productivity and higher stress levels. If you don't need it, get rid of it. Create space on your work surface and use it for money-making endeavors.
Sure, personal mementos and family photos aren't clutter. But stick them on the wall or turn them into PC wallpapers -- but don't let them take up precious workspace real estate. If you really care about your family, you'll need to make sure every moment spent at your workspace actually makes money.
#2 - Stay organized with a planner and notepad. A planner should show your tasks for the entire week, helping you decide which ones are the most important and need to be done first. A handy notepad will let you jot down notes, especially during phone calls -- but make sure you get those notepad tasks out of the way quickly, otherwise they turn into clutter.
#3 - Set deadlines, even for simple meetings and deliveries. Meetings that drag on for hours can be avoided when people know there's a deadline. Any late transaction will hold everything else back, so make sure everything gets done in a timely manner.
Aside from money, you'll also need to manage time. The average worker loses around an hour of otherwise productive work simply because their workspace is disorganized. Don't be a statistic -- streamline your workspace and keep your business growing.