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Get. It. Together.
By Gabby Printz | July 19, 2010
I’m writing this post as we at the WBC 
are sorting out annual projections, setting up budgets, and scheduling the coming year of programming. Our year starts in September, so in the quiet summer months, we have some time to collect ourselves and get our stuff together.
Yes, this is a post about organization.
I had a conversation with a woman today looking to start a business. We get a few of these calls a day. Daunted, they ask “What do I need to do?” “What are my first steps?” “How can I get funding?”
Well, first, we say, you need to get everything in order. Your market research, your business plan, your financial projections. And we have counselors who can help you with that. If there is one endeavor in your life that you need to be incredibly well-prepared for (apart from having a baby or getting married, maybe), it is entering into a business venture.
But this is only the beginning. Good organization is essential at all levels of business. A business runs like a well-oiled machine if you scrupulously track your book-keeping, update and maintain a robust client database, and if you can properly account for your time as an owner/manager/sole proprietor/independent contractor/CEO.
So for those both in and out of business, we want to share with you the organization tools that we love:
1) Excel. I love a good excel spreadsheet. Stick your formulas in and let the columns add up. I use Excel to track time sheets, to keep registration lists, to import into mail merges, and to generate statistical and financial reports, just to name a few things. I must spend 60% of my time at the office in Excel. However, there’s something of a learning curve if you don’t typically use a spreadsheet program, but it’s worth it. You will want to use it for everything.
2) Google Calendar. This is a *free* online tool that we use here constantly. Schedule your events, organize your tasks, set reminders, share calendars. It’s wonderful. For the visually-stimulated like myself, this is the best way to see just how your time is being spent. Update it from your phone if you are the mobile type, and access it on the web from anywhere.
3) A Filing System. No, I am not talking about manila folders and clunky metal drawers. I’m talking your trusty C Drive. The world is well on its way to going paperless. You can get your bank statements via email, and do your taxes and pay bills online. Do you know where to find documents on your computer? Quick! Where can you find the most recently updated version of your CV or resume? It’s important to have a way to archive and organize your digital records.
In our office, the shared drive – “the K” – contains a folder for every grant, community organization, anything. Those folders then break down into a spiderweb of subfolders categorized by program year, grant year, committee, etc. We can find pretty much any document that was archived since we opened in 2003.
4) A good, old-fashioned pad of paper. Not very fancy, but helpful. I keep a pad of plain old college-ruled paper and write down all my notes for the day. When you’re on the phone or just catch something in passing, it’s nice to be able to keep track of those loose ends. Maggie gets extra “green points” because she saves quarter-sheet cuts of scrap paper to make her notes on.
and a bonus for the social media-inclined:
5) TweetDeck. Integrate your social media presence, activity, and awareness with this tool, which allows to you view multiple online networking accounts (Twitter, Facebook, LinkedIn, etc), post to them, schedule updates, and receive notifications, all on one screen.
What do you use to get yourself organized? Any special tips or tools? Share them in a comment below.
Topics: Biz Tips | No Comments »