3 Powerful Ways To Organize Your Business: Essential Hacks For The Overwhelmed Business Owner

Why Should You Organize Your Business?

Do you waste time searching for documents? Is your inbox full of unopened messages too old to be relevant? Organization can save your sanity as well as your business. Whether you are a start-up or business veteran, improved organization will pay off.

When your business is organized, you are more effective. You have more time to mentor your employees. And more time to court new clients.

Streamlining business operations improves your personal life as well. When you use less mental energy at work, you have more to devote to personal relationships and interests.

How To Organize Your Business

If you feel overwhelmed at the task, take the following steps gradually. Dedicate an hour a week if that’s all you can spare. The benefits will compound over time.

1. Use A Business Dashboard

A business dashboard is a software interface. It allows you to see your Key Performance Indicators (KPIs) from one location. It consolidates data from other business software for centralized management. It allows you to integrate your disparate systems and access them from one location.

What does a business dashboard contain?

• Marketing
  • Website analytics
  • Social media engagement
  • Email campaigns
• Financials
  • Revenue
  • Returns
  • Sales
  • Bank accounts
  • Overhead expenses
  • Inventory
• Labor Management
  • Employee schedules
  • Time cards
  • Payroll
• CRM
  • Project timelines

You can configure your dashboard to suit your needs. You will gain real time monitoring of each department

How does a business dashboard help my company?

A dashboard helps you quickly digest complex information. You can spot trends and relationships. This helps you make better business decisions. You waste less time with trial-and-error.

With a dashboard, your staff stays focused on what matters. Real time data is a powerful motivator. When your team can see the results of their efforts, they are eager to improve. It increases unity and engagement with your business goals.

How do you choose a business dashboard?

Your first job is to find one that integrates with software you are already using. If you aren’t using any other software, identify your KPIs. KPIs include profit margin as percentage of sales, inventory turnover, and profit and loss (P&L). If you own a salon, your KPIs might include total number of customers, retention rate, and ticket size. If you own a food truck, it might be meals served or daily sales. You can also identify systems tailored to your industry.

When you’ve narrowed down the list, look for a free trial. Then experience with the navigation. Try out the customization features. Play with the charts and grids.

Pay attention to the size of business it supports. Large enterprises have entire departments devoted to analytics. Owner operators need quick and easy graphs.

Business dashboards present so much data, software creators take a wide range of approaches. Some are for the minimally tech-savvy. Others have sophisticated authoring tools.

Don’t worry about setting it up perfectly the first time. This isn’t a once-and-done effort. The goal is to refine your processes. With high-level oversight and a holistic view, you are equipped to do that.

2. Reduce Paperwork With Electronic Document Management

When companies started using word processing software in the 70’s, the idea of a ‘paperless office’ emerged. But 40 years later, it hasn’t happened. Many businesses still have banks of file cabinets.

Some store both electronic and paper copies. While you might not be able to get rid of every paper form, you can reduce the number of them with electronic document management. (And save a few forests in the process.)

Cloud computing makes this easier and less expensive. Storing records ‘in the cloud’ just means that they are on the internet. The documents aren’t stored on your business computers. Cloud storage providers handle security and software updates.

Software as a Service (SaaS) applications are hosted in the cloud. If you want to digitize your existing records, there is software that simplifies the process. Document management software helps you manage your electronic documents.

The Benefits of Electronic Document Management

• Automated reporting
• Convenient centralized access
• Eco-responsible
• Speeds up HR workflows
• Manage records more efficiently
• Improved collaboration

3. Put HR On AutoPilot

Combine document management with employee self-service and you have a Human Resources portal. It’s a unified payroll, timekeeping, scheduling, HR and engagement interface. It includes payroll records, HR workflows, employee engagement tools, and third party apps. You can integrate an HR portal with a business dashboard.

• Company directory
• Shift clock in/out
• Time cards
• Work schedules
• Shift trading
• PTO accruals
• Onboarding
• Payroll information
• Tax forms
• Benefits enrollment
• Performance reviews
• E-signatures

An HR portal is a powerful organization tool. It eliminates confusion. And reduces the burden on managers and admin personnel. Time cards, schedules, accruals, and shift changes are centrally managed. It keeps everyone on the same page.

It allows employees to handle HR tasks on their own. They are happy to do it. With a mobile app, they can access Human Resources anytime. It improves organization for all members of the team. Plus there are countless collateral benefits beyond the scope of this article.

SwipeClock Helps Businesses Get Organized

SwipeClock helps businesses get organized with industry-leading labor management software. Learn more about how SwipeClock can help you.

By Liz Strikwerda