March is here, and with spring quickly approaching, it’s time to focus on the looming
task of spring cleaning. The sense of satisfaction that comes after finally giving the space behind
your couch a long overdue sweep or pulling out those old condiments from the depths of your
fridge is unmatched. If you haven’t done it yet, here’s your reminder that teriyaki sauce on the
bottom shelf expired three years ago. Cleaning those often-neglected areas of home is
definitely important, but that doesn’t mean you shouldn’t be doing some spring cleaning in
your workplace. It is important to stay organized in both your work and home life in order to
maintain or increase your productivity levels and streamline your work processes.
Perhaps the best place to start is your desk. It might seem obvious, but having a clean
desk can translate into greater productivity for you. One study by Office Max reported that
company executives waste around six weeks per year looking for lost items and information!
De-cluttering your office space can give you peace of mind and improve your productivity.
Invest in a paper daily planner or a whiteboard calendar to help keep track of your activities and
deadlines by the day.
Once your desk is reorganized, it’s time to start rethinking strategy and goals. Focus on
areas that you think your business might need improvement in and make sure your goals are
SMART: Specific, Measurable, Attainable, Results-Oriented, and Time-Bound. Specificity is key
to goal-setting because it can quickly become difficult to achieve goals that aren’t measurable.
Making sure your goals are specific and measurable can help eliminate any uncertainty
and wiggle room for failure. Think of it like going to the gym: you’re much more likely to stick
with a regular routine if you set a specific weight loss (or gain) goal and track your progress day-
by-day until you reach your target. Goals should be attainable as well; setting realistic goals can
help you to accomplish them within the time limits that you’ve set and help avoid
disappointment. Having results-oriented goals can help you to focus on solving issues that
matter most. Finally, making sure your goals are time-bound ensures that you have a specific
target date for the completion of your goal in mind. There are few things more satisfying than
crossing off a task from your calendar!
In addition to revamping your goals and cleaning your office space up, it never hurts to
check up on your website and social media accounts. For prospective customers checking out
your business for the first time, your company’s website can make or break their opinion. The
importance of making sure your website is easy to navigate and user-friendly cannot be
understated. Cutting down on irrelevant information, updating your sites calendar and events
pages, making sure relevant pages are easy to access, and adding new photos are all great
places to start. Maintaining an active social media presence is also major plus, since posting
interesting content and engaging with followers shows prospective customers that you don’t
hide behind a virtual curtain – you are there to interact with people and answer their questions.
Spring cleaning your business can help you to refocus on what matters and clear your
mind for the challenges you will face on the road ahead. The Chamber of Commerce and our
members can help you with your business’s spring cleaning at any one of our informational
sessions. Keep a close watch at our events calendar for more information!