The sun is shining, and here at 08 Direct we’re joyfully waving goodbye to the gloom of grey skies and welcoming the army of daffodils leading us into Spring.

With car boot sales thriving, a de-clutter at this time of year must pay off, so why not apply the same concept to your business and boost your success?

The Easter Break is your perfect opportunity to dig out the weeds and give your business a good Spring Clean! Here are our five top tips for organisation and increasing your productivity.

1. The Dreaded Paperwork…

Start with your desk; covered with paperwork, mini stationary and branded stress balls you’ve managed to collect over the years? Each time you complete a project, re-assess the space and only keep the items and documents you actually have a use for. Your desk should be an active working space, not a storage unit!

Beware of overdoing it though, and bear in mind Mr Einstein’s wise words, ‘if a cluttered desk is a sign of a cluttered mind, of what, then, is an empty desk a sign?’.

2. Electronic Efficiency 

As well as your physical paperwork, take a look electronically too. Disorganised spaces, whether physical or electronic can prevent your processes from performing at their optimum capacity. Review your ease of locating files, and archive any older documents that may be distracting or taking up space.  Previously, we’ve explored the use of Cloud storage spaces for small businesses to improve efficiency and profitability. Past surveys have shown that up to 88% of companies reported that cloud services have saved them money.

3. Zone It Out

Many professionals now have a home office; either in replacement of or in addition to the traditional working office. Keeping your home office separate to your personal space is important for your health and focus in both aspects. If your guest or storage room doubles up as your home office, define clear ‘zones’ between the two by utilising cupboards, filing systems and even considering a partition to keep it contained. Once organised, transform your home office into an inspiring space for you, to encourage creativity, productivity and boost your energy levels.

4. Computer Says ‘No’

Ah, how technical faults bring such frustration! As David Moon, President of Lan-Tech Inc points out, at least ten minutes is wasted when your computer crashes; considering rebooting, loading all of your programs again, and focussing back onto the task in hand. As tempting as it is to put off those regular updates for days on end, it is likely to save you time in the long term if you tackle them head on.

Alongside time, the frustration created from technical faults can influence your business on a wider scale. Lazar et al (2003) looked at user frustration in the workplace, and found that the user’s mood, productivity and interactions with co-workers were negatively affected; potentially creating deeper issues and harming the success of the company.

Technology should be an aid to your business rather than a hindrance, so if something isn’t working, it’s more than worthwhile fixing, or replacing it.

5. Review Your Business Plan

Remember the business plan you made? Is it still relevant and are you achieving your immediate goals? Take a review, considering the following factors:

•  Direction of your business
•  Industry news and trends
•  New, existing and potential competition
•  Rising costs
•  New technology
•  Business activities – successes and failures
•  Business performance
•  Financial position – growth, cash flow, working capital

Re-assessing your plans could develop new insights into your business, and may affect your direction, prompting new opportunities for the rest of the year following your Spring Clean!

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