Your Own Business : Organized and Efficient!

Many people think that having your own business is a dream come true.  They often forget that businesses work because of specialization.  Each team member has a specific function.  Accounting, marketing, production, engineering, IT, sales…. when you become an entrepreneur you will most likely assume those roles until things get rolling and the money is coming in.

That said, since you will be wearing so many hats, you will need to be as organized and efficient as possible.  With a little planning it shouldn't be all that difficult.

Plan for Failure

I don't mean that you should plan to fail, but this IS one of the best learning tools out there!  Something didn't work?  Try something else.  No, what I mean to say is, plan for your TOOLS to fail.  For instance, that wonderfully LARGE harddrive in your computer?  How OLD is it?  How much STUFF do you have on there?  How much stuff do you have on there that you would HATE to lose?  How much stuff on there would completely DESTROY your business if it disappeared?  Welcome to the world of the “backup” plan. I'm not going to get into what sort of backup software or hardware to use, but you do need a backup plan in place.  You can back up as much or as little as you need to.  Currently, on my Macbook Pro, I've got an external 500GB harddrive that is running Time Machine.  Every hour is runs to make sure all the information on the backup is current.  I have seen some dual drive systems use a RAID system so there is some additional security. It would be terrible to have your backup and your main drive both fail, but that's almost getting a little carried away.

Organize for Efficency

Everything needs a place. So be proactive. Plan to have a digital place for all your files. Organize them in a manner which makes sense.  As web designer, I have a folder for clients.  Inside that folder each client has their own name.  In each client folder are more folder.  One for supplied information, one for working files, one for accounting.  I know where I can find any information I have about a client in these folders.  The structure makes sense for me.  More importantly, if I every hire employees I have a system in place that will be easy to understand.

I also have tools in an easy to find place.  Things that I use regularly  are easily accessible.  For tools that I use rarely, or procedures that I use rarely, I have created “How To” documents that explain the idea, so that if I forget how I did something, I know where to easily find out where to go—my how to library—so I don't have to go searching or wrack my brain to try to recreate something.  Believe me, it seems like a simple silly little thing, but the first time you have to use it you will pat yourself on the back.  AND, it makes training (new employees) a breeze as well.

Right Tool For the Job

Another important aspect of business is to have the right tool for the job.  You don't need a tank when a bicycle will do. Free is great, but it's not always the right tool for the job. Don't be afraid to research a little bit.  Do you need to edit graphics?  Photoshop is the first thing that pops into most people's minds, but Photoshop is NOT cheap.  There are some cheap alternatives, there is even some free alternatives out there—GIMPSHOP, Online Image Editors like Aviary.com—so don't believe that you need “the best, most powerful tool” if you only have one task that you need to accomplish. You don't need a chainsaw to remove a splinter.

All in all, the important concept to remember is planning.  Planning—right—will allow you to setup to succeed and avoid unnecessary failures.  If you are interested in planning to market on the Internet, or create your own digital products to sell on the Internet, you should check out the Internet Marketing Training Center. It's an online school that will help you plan for your future on the Internet.  Pop over and check them out.