Anyone who talks to me for any length of time knows how important I feel organization is when building your business. If your office, email, computer files are a disorganized mess, you will waste a lot of time, pull a lot of hair, and most likely loose more than a few potential clients. I am a copious note taker and constantly have a mass of sticky notes lining the sides of my computer and attached to my calendar. Yes, I know there are electronic sticky note programs but this is the most effective way for me, the notes are where I can see them and in a place that my brain acknowledges that important information is located here but aren'tblocking any other data I may need to take in at the moment. This is part of my organizational style and it works for me, while others just shake their heads in wonder and walk away.

Organized, does not necessarily mean squeaky-clean. In fact, I can't comprehend how someone could possible accomplish anything in an office that is spic and span. At the same time, I can within seconds place my hands on any vital information, tool, file, email address, or set of instructions I need for the day-to-day operation of my business. If I were to somehow fail in my ability to do this, I could easily miss a deadline or forget an important assignment, an email address in which to send a finished project. The variables are endless and none of them spell a good day for my business.

Here are a few suggestions that will help you keep your business a little better organized and running more smoothly.

1)Have a separate personal and business email account. Answer your email (both personal and business) 3 times per day during business hours. Don't check your email between these times unless it is vitally important to do so.

2)Keep paperwork that you need frequently within easy reach of your desk. I recommend a filing cabinet right next to your desk or in a tray on top of your desk if you don't have to worry about little fingers getting into them. Make sure you have plenty of extra copies on hand at all times as well. Running out of the correct form at the wrong time can result in costly delays or worse, a forgotten order.

3)If you are busy and on a roll, don't stop what you are doing in order to answer the phone. This takes time, is distracting, and can actually make your forget an important step in what you were doing.

4)Do not overstock supplies. If you buy in bulk'like many of us do'be sure to store the extras somewhere other than your office. If you only have one roll of tape, you will be much more likely to keep your tape within reach rather than having 4 or 5 rolls of tape scattered around your office.

5)Have a place for items that you need often and make sure that you put them back when you are finished with them. Also, don't let your kids use your tape, pens, etc. for wrapping presents. Keep your office supplies separate from your household supplies.

6)Keep copious records of financial transactions, profits, losses, and business expenses. If you keep everything together throughout the year, you will be less likely to have trouble finding all the documents you need during tax time.

7)Plan your day in the morning. If you know what you will be doing during the day, you can make sure that you have everything you need at hand rather than spending time between each task looking for the supplies you will need.

Being organized as a person as well as a business owner will save a great deal of time and money over the course of a year. Try these few steps and see how much more smoothly yours days seem to run.