5 Steps to Spring Clean Your Small Business
It’s spring cleaning time. As a small business owner, you might think that you don’t have time to spend on activities that don’t generate business. But if you spend just a little energy “cleaning up,” you may be able to capitalize on the things you find.
Below are five tips for helping you freshen up your business.
1. Clean Up Your Wallet
Since spring is also tax time, now is the perfect time to examine your finances for any unnecessary memberships or subscriptions. Perhaps you signed up for a premium software package but you only utilize the free features. You might have joined a professional network only to find it’s not the right target for your business. Cutting out these fees is a quick and painless way of saving money.
2. Clean Out Your Inbox
As a business owner, it’s hard to stay on top of your email inbox. Customer messages get mixed in with promotions or industry newsletters and, before you know it, the emails pile up. Set aside a little time now for clearing away the spam. Unsubscribe from promotional emails you won’t use in the next few months. Audit the newsletters you receive and cancel any memberships you don’t read regularly. And don’t forget to scrub your contact lists. Go through your digital rolodex to see if you need to delete or update any contacts.
3. Clean Up Your Filing Cabinet
Every business has different document retention requirements. Check into your contracts to see what the thresholds for your industry are. If you’ve been holding on to excess paperwork, now is the time to clean it out. As always, be careful to protect personal data by shredding or otherwise safely disposing of paperwork.
4. Clean Up Your Digital Files
Just like your office, your computer can collect clutter. Whether you keep every single file on your desktop or you save every version of every document you’ve ever written, it’s time to organize. Take some time to think about how you work to determine the best way to organize your information, taking the time to delete any extraneous documents. Going the extra step to rename files something meaningful can save you time and headaches later.
5. Freshen Up!
Businesses can get stale too, and spring is a great time to look at your business in a new light. There may be processes that are slowing you down that can be streamlined or automated. Maybe now is the time to brainstorm the next product or service you bring to market. Connect with your community to see what they need or want. Your next best idea might be right around the corner!
Now that you’ve done a thorough clean-up, you may have noticed projects you need to get started on or new opportunities for building your business. Whether you’re looking for guidance in mapping out new directions or you are in need of funding to take that next step, Rising Tide can help.
Rising Tide business advisors work with startup and small business owners in the Greater Lehigh Valley to offer vital guidance and support. We can help you outline a business plans, financial forecasts and more. If your business is in need of a loan, Rising Tide Community Loan Fund works with small businesses in the Greater Lehigh Valley who do not qualify at traditional banks.
Springtime is the perfect time to get your business affairs tidied up and Rising Tide is here to help.
