Boosting Small Business Success through Efficient Organization 

Creating strong systems for your small business is an essential thing to do, but if you don’t have a solid organizational structure for them, they won’t do you much good. With a great organizational framework, however, your systems can do a lot to boost the success of your small business! 

Wait just a moment…did Kristen David just say that having systems isn’t enough? Yes. 

You need to build the systems, of course (and I recommend engaging your team in the process) – but if they can’t find the systems and don’t understand what those process pertain to, having the systems won’t help you succeed. 

It’s all about organization and implementation. And today, I’d like to help you build a framework to accomplish both! 

Step 1: Consider Your Business!  

Before we get started, it’s vital to realize that while the majority of your systems by department will be the same, every company will have some different individual procedures,.  A key to feeling that your Systems fit your company is identifying where some of your processes are different.   For instance, a law firm won’t have the same technical processes and policies as an insurance brokerage, which won’t have the same processes and policies as a retail store. However, each will use the same type of framework to organize their systems. 

This is what we’re going to discuss today. 

Organize Business Folders by Department for Maximum Efficiency

At the top of the hierarchy are folders and subfolders. These are the main “categories” for your systems. 

Often a starting point is to organize these by department (financial, admin, marketing, client records, etc.).  From there, break it down further so people can find what they want quickly and efficiently.  This might require review once a year as you grow. In additional there will be other subfolders that might make more sense to be by month and year, while others subfolders my follow a chronological or a alphabetical format. Each industry will have different needs. 

Whatever you decide on though, make sure it is used consistently throughout your company and that your team knows how to use the framework you’ve decided upon. This will make sure you don’t have several sets of information floating around your files! 

Naming Conventions 

It might seem a bit silly to come up with a naming convention, especially if your team consists of you…but as your team grows, you’ll be glad you took this step. When everything is named in the same way (and when everyone knows the how and why behind it), everything will become a lot easier to find. 

If your files are currently a bit of a mess due to multiple naming conventions being used, take control now. Sit down with your team and determine the conventions that make the most sense to everyone, and then use that process going forward. As your team has time, convert the previous files over so everything is easy to find. 

Organizational Protocols 

Again, this one might seem like it should be obvious, but it really isn’t. Everyone has a way they like to organize, and if you don’t set specific organizational protocols in place, your systems will become the wild west. Everyone will do their own thing and pretty soon, your systems will become impossible to use. 

I can’t tell you how many times I’ve been on a call with a coaching client and heard, “Why doesn’t my team ever put things where I can find them???” 

I get it, I really do…but I’m left with having to ask gently, “Have you created protocols you want them to use?” Most of the time, the answer is no.  

If you don’t give your team a structure to use, they’ll each create their own. That’s just how it works. There is no one “perfect” structure, but it is vital to have one in place. 

Permissions 

Permissions perform two functions: 

1. They ensure that your team members aren’t bogged down with irrelevant information 

2. They help protect information that not everyone needs access to 

For example, your Bookkeeper needs access to all of your financial information; your Administrative Assistant does not. Your EA needs to have full access to your email and calendar, but your Marketing Assistant does not. 

Being intentional from the start about who has access to what will help your team to be productive and protect your sensitive information. It’s helpful to keep a list of who has which permissions so that when you hire an Admin or COO, they can easily step into that role. 

Department-Specific Platforms 

There will also be times when you decide to have platforms that are for specific departments. Keeping quick records of who has access to what can help you greatly as your team grows, both in knowing what each new hire should have access to and in knowing who to ask when it comes time to evaluate whether to renew that service. 

For instance, I tend to be what you might call an “early adopter”, especially when it comes to marketing tools. If something new comes out that can help my team, I’m quick to try it.  

However, a couple of times a year I like to go through and evaluate what’s working and what’s not. Knowing who has access to the tool allows me to quickly know who to ask – is it worth renewing? 

It’s also helpful for onboarding, though. Think about it this way: if you have a few dozen tools floating around without a list of who gets access to what, it could be months before a new hire even finds out the tool exists. Not only aren’t you getting the ROI out of the tool (because it’s not being used), but they may not have the tools they need to excel. 

By keeping this information organized, you can save a lot of time and money! 

Wondering how to best organize your systems? The tips above will give you a great starting point, and from there, our coaches would be happy to work with you. Just let me know and let’s hop on Zoom!