There are so many particulars involved in running your own business that being organized is not just a good idea, it's an absolute must! Good organization isn't just a matter of keeping your desk clean.
You must also be able to find what you need when you need it, be aware of what is coming up, and be able to move smoothly from one task to the next.
In order to become and stay organized, you will need to develop your own organizational system using the tools that work best for you, a calendaring system that is accurate and accessible, and a to-do system that will keep you on track and efficient.
There is no "right" way to get organized.
Different systems work for different people, which is why there are dozens of different organizational systems, self-help books, and full-time organizational consultants on the market! If you are like most people, you have probably tried one or more of the trendy organizational systems for a time and found yourself less and less committed to it over time.
In most cases, this occurs because some piece or pieces of the set program don't work for you, either because the way it is done doesn't fit your personality and way of thinking or because your priorities do not align with the design of the organizational system.
The purpose of an organizational system is to help you identify what needs to be done at any given time and plan to accomplish those tasks as efficiently and productively as possible.
As a business owner, your organizational system must include a plan and tools for organizing all of the documentation and information required for your business, for organizing both your professional and personal life, and for setting an organizational standard for your staff.
Even if you are starting out by yourself, the habits you set now will have a significant impact on the culture of your company as you grow.
Internal Organizational Tools Your business requires sufficient tools to keep all systems and information organized.

• Paper Filing Systems.
  Your accounting and contact management software are excellent tools to provide your organizational foundation, but the paperwork to back up those systems must be logically arranged and accessible as well.
  Identify the furniture your business needs, including file cabinets and other file systems.
  Be sure the system you select is effective for your habits and personality.
  Organizational systems are only effective if you actually use it as designed.
  As your venture is up and running, it will be clearer which types of paperwork will be needed most often and which only need to be saved just in case.
  The more likely you are to need to retrieve an item, the more effort should go into filing it in an easily retrievable location.
  
• Document Options.
  For your business documents, you may elect to use hanging files, vertical files, 3-ring binders, or even digital storage.
  Be sure the system you choose will cover most of your business's priorities.
  File folders tend to still be the default, although many business owners find them difficult to keep organized.
  With file folders, the documents are less likely to be correctly ordered and misfiling is common.
  Typically, it is more difficult to retrieve a specific document from file folders and they tend to become overfilled rather quickly.
  3-ring binders are effective for keeping a large volume of related materials together and accessible.
  Digitizing your documents is space and time efficient, as long as you develop an easy-to-use filing system by creating clearly titled files, folders and sub-folders to organize the data.
  
• Accounting Software.
  Your accounting system organizes and records all of your business's financial information.
  It is critical to set up your accounts correctly from the start and to accurately record all transactions in a timely manner.
  In fact, checking the books should be on your daily schedule.
  Depending on your business, you may want to run sales or expense reports, inventory spot checks, or any other accounting task that is most likely to be a problem every day.
  When you find errors (and you will), it is important to fix them correctly -- by actually finding the balancing error.
  If you just add or subtract a few dollars each time to make it balance, you will end up with grossly inaccurate financial statements over time.
  Most software will allow you to make changes as needed, but if you don't balance both debit and credit accounts, the extra will go into a separate account reserved for unbalanced amounts.
  That account will show on your financial statements and any banker or investor who reviews your reports will want to know why it is there.
  Your best bet is to reconcile all errors as soon as possible.
  
• Contact Management Software.
  CSM programs are an excellent tool for keeping your customer, vendor, and networking information organized.
  Keep up with your database by scheduling monthly checks.
  You can clean your list by ensuring there are no repeated contact entries and marking anyone who has requested to be off your mailing list.
  It is better to leave those entries in and mark them as unusable rather than deleting them because you will not accidentally re-add them later.
  Contact management software also helps you keep in touch with your networking contacts by allowing you to enter your last few interactions with each of them.
  You can sort the list of contacts, see who you need to contact, and keep in touch with important contacts in just a few minutes per month.
  
• Calendar / Planning System.
  Select a daily planner that is flexible enough to allow you to customize it to fit your needs.
  Everyone has multiple priorities -- work, family, extracurriculars -- and it is very difficult to keep those lives completely separate.
  Don't assume any particular time-management system should work for you, regardless of how effective they claim to be.
  There are a million "right" ways to manage your time, and as long as you create a system that keeps you on track and out of the weeds, you are good to go.
  If you have particular trouble with time-management, look for a calendar system that is completely customizable (the Uncalendar by People Systems, Inc.
  is an excellent choice).
  Try out various methods until you find the one that works best for you, then use it!Using a calendaring system is an absolute must for small business owners.
  There are so many different aspects to keep up with and so many dates and deadlines to remember that they must be written down and effectively organized to keep any entrepreneur on track.
  Avoid selecting an undersized planner.
  Most entrepreneurs ultimately agree that a full-size (81/2 x 11) time-management system ends uplike an extra appendage -- they don't leave home without it.
  A planner in a 3-ring notebook is great for startup as you can keep the various papers organized when you are on the go.
  

Whatever tools you choose to keep you and your business organized, make sure they work for you and fit with your intended culture.
Don't hesitate to make changes if any part isn't working -- the cost of organizational tools will more than pay for themselves in the time they will save.
The Bottom Line Establish effective organizational and time-management systems and be diligent about using them.
The three tools every entrepreneur should have are a filing system for paper documents, a calendaring system, and contact management software.
Be aware of how you are spending your time.
Spend a few minutes every morning and evening reviewing your day and preparing for the next.
Don't burn yourself out and remember, entrepreneurship is a marathon, not a sprint!