Business Organization for Small Business Owners

Where are you getting stuck in your business?

Tips from San Diego organizer Kathi Burns to help business owners like you clear paper piles, catch every client follow-up and set up work so it goes from Logjam to FLOW.

Start with the one that costs you the most time:

Paper
Clients
Workspace
Time
Money

Kathi Burns, Certified Professional Organizer, at her desk with a laptop — Certified Professional Organizer

TL;DR

Most small businesses don’t need more effort, they need fewer places where work gets stuck. Start with the area that costs you the most time: paper, client follow-up, your workspace, your schedule or your money. Each section below links to Kathi Burns’ step-by-step guides, and if you can’t tell where the real logjam is, a Business Logjam Session finds it with you in 75 minutes.

What is slowing you down?

Each folder holds Kathi’s step-by-step guides for one problem. Open the one that sounds like your week.

Paper

Stop paper from piling up

Tired of Being Buried Under Paperwork?What you can shred, what to keep and how to stop receipts from piling up.
File papers into hanging folders ‘heads to the right’One simple filing rule that makes every paper faster to find.
A Busy Home Office Overwhelmed with Paperwork Gets Freedom Filed!How one business owner with several corporations got her records under control.

Clients

Stop clients from slipping through the cracks

How to Create a Customer Follow-Up System That Works for a Small BusinessOne contact list, a next step for every contact and a regular follow-up time.
Organizing Clients and Customer ContactsSetting up a contact database and a reminder system so no one slips through the cracks.

Workspace

Set up a desk that works for you

Organizing a Busy Work DeskAn inbound spot, a holding zone and a place for every type of item.
Home Office Design, Organizing Desk Configuration (part 1)The L-shaped desk setup that keeps paper off your desktop.
A Space Efficient Way to Organize Office SuppliesA rolling supply cart for an office that shares a guest room.
Organizing Work in Multiple LocationsOne calendar, a portable file box and buffer time between appointments.

Time

Find more time in your week

10 Things We Can Do To Achieve BalanceThree goals a day, booking your own time and doing one thing at a time.
3 Online Tools to Help You Stay OrganizedThree current apps and how to pick the one you will actually use.

Money

Know where your money goes

Organizing Business FinancesCash flow, budgeting and planning for future costs.
Zen and the Art of Bookkeeping – Simple Ways for WAHM’s to Master this Dreaded TaskSimple bookkeeping habits for home-based business owners.

Not sure where the logjam is?

In one 75-minute Business Logjam Session, Kathi pinpoints where work keeps getting stuck in your business and gives you a simple plan to clear it, with a written summary to keep.

Find What’s Holding Me Back

FFocus on Your Goals
LLocate Your Logjams
OOutline Your Solutions
WWalk Away Knowing Your Next Steps

Every business organization article

The whole file, A to Z. New articles appear here on their own.

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Frequently asked questions

Where should I start organizing my small business?

Start with the area that costs you the most time each week, such as paper, client follow-up or a cluttered desk. Fixing the biggest bottleneck first frees up time to tackle the rest. If you are not sure where work is getting stuck, a Business Logjam Session helps you find it.

How do I stop paperwork from piling up in my business?

Decide what you can let go of, such as pay stubs once your year-end tax forms arrive and most receipts once they are recorded, and keep one filing system for everything else. Kathi files papers in hanging folders with the top edge facing right so key details are easy to see.

What is a good customer follow-up system for a small business?

Keep all customer and prospect information in one place, such as a spreadsheet or small business CRM, and give every contact a next step with a date. Block the same time each week for follow-up so it happens on schedule.

How should I set up my desk for business work?

Keep the tools you use most closest to you, give every type of item its own space, and set up one landing spot for incoming materials. An L-shaped desk lets you keep the computer on one side and open space for paperwork on the other.

What is a Business Logjam Session?

It is a 75-minute session with Kathi Burns, CPO®, personal and online, that pinpoints where work keeps getting stuck in your business and gives you a simple plan to clear it. You walk away with a written summary of your next steps.