How-To: Stay Organized

   Running a business can become a scattered mess very easily.  You have so many things to keep track of:  money, marketing, fees, bills, orders, ideas, etc.  It can be overwhelming if you let all these things you have to get done consume you.  The key to keeping everything in order is planning.

   For me, the easiest way to plan is day-by-day.  I have a very flexible schedule since I am working at home, so it is extremely easy for me to get side-tracked and not get anything done.  But I try not to let slothfulness take over by writing out a To-Do list for every day.  And it doesn't have to be limited to only business related things.  (I include things such as laundry in my lists!)  I write down everything I want to get done in a day and so far, it has worked well for me.  And don't worry if you can't get everything on your list done in one day, just carry those things over to the next day.

   Some of you might find it easier or more effective for you to make weekly, monthly, or yearly goals for yourself.  I have not set any long-term goals for my business, though I do have some marketing ideas to try to bring in local customers once our other laptop is fixed!