It's that time of year again--everyone is talking about spring cleaning. It is one of my absolute favorite topics of discussion. It's usually a topic reserved for our personal living spaces, but our business spaces can also benefit from a little spring sprucing. After all, a clean and organized work space not only improves office efficiency, but reduces stress and builds the confidence of every single employee in the company.
Here are my 5 tips for spring cleaning your business:
Purge Yourself
Go through everything in your office and get rid of things that are outdated, broken or have become irrelevant. And I mean EVERYTHING. Recycle old files and outdated magazines, safely dispose of broken electronics, purge your email box and voicemail and delete duplicated files on your computer or company server. This is a great time to start a company-wide recycling program. Use the EPA's website for recycling resources you can use as well as websites like LampRecycling.com that offer safe disposal of items such as fluorescent lamps and batteries.
Create Work Zones
Think about your day-to-day activities and break them down into individual tasks.
Now, categorize all those tasks into individual workspaces. For example, things such as writing reports, checking emails and updating client folders all happen in Work Zone 1 (desk, computer & phone) while things like sending out product samples and assembling press kits happen in Work Zone 2 (conference table). Organize all of your materials around which "zone" you are using to complete the task and put items in their respective places. Need some help with how to organize your space for optimal function and beauty? Checkout Homepolish, a company that makes premium design services available to everyone no matter the budget.
Bring in the Green
Make your office a little more earth-friendly by greening up the space with plants (improve air quality), reusable dishes and utensils (reduce disposables) and by installing "smart" power strips (use less energy). In addition, wipe down countertops and floors with an eco-friendly cleaning product like our Ecospirit brand. Keep those products accessible to everyone--encouraging regular wipe down of workspaces. At our company, I am not only concerned with doing good things for our clients, but also in doing good things for our employees. This is reflected in the products we use internally as well as externally.
Clean Your Technology
Delete apps you are no longer using on your smartphone, update your operating systems, uninstall software that is no longer relevant to your business and unsubscribe to all those emails you never have time to read (head to Unroll.me for a quick unsubscribe solution). Use a microfiber cloth to wipe down your screens, phones and keyboards--opting for a reusable brush to get into keyboard crevices if needed.
Do an Online Update
While you may not be a website expert, as a small business owner you need to have ownership over all areas of your brand--including your website. In addition to making sure all of your site information is up-to-date, consider the top 3 questions customers ask you each day. Are those 3 questions easily answered by a quick visit to your site? If not, you may want to make some changes. Also, give you social media networks a quick update as well--I am always amazed at how many companies still have old logos or contact information associated with their Facebook or Twitter profiles.
Your business spring cleaning efforts will not only get you organized, but will help you establish healthy routines and processes that will keep your business growing far beyond the spring season.
This blogger graduated from Goldman Sachs' 10,000 Small Businesses program. Goldman Sachs is a partner of the What Is Working: Small Businesses section.