Business Organisation | Bravapro | Virtual Business manager

How Disorganisation Is Costing Your Business Money

Apr 16, 2023 | Organisation

Being organised is something that’s very easy to overlook. However, disorganisation can result in a lot of unnecessary stress and loss of time, which can seriously impact your day-to-day life. So don’t count the cost of disorganisation or let the stress and frustrations drag you down – take some action.

How To Get More Organised

Start today by taking note of all those little things that niggle you because of your disorganisation. The things like not being able to find those client details when you need to call them, or the fact you can put your hands on the report you need urgency. Or there was this really interesting website that you can’t remember the URL.

Instead of letting these minor annoyances mount up, challenge yourself this week to do something about it.

Set up a system so all your contacts are only a few clicks away.
Set up a system so all your client’s documents are in one space
Bookmark those websites in one place to help you find the information quickly.

The bottom line is if you don’t set aside some time to do this, those annoyances will continue to impact your life. You will continue to count of the cost of disorganisation.

My Secret Weapon

My secret weapon for getting organised is Trello.

Trello has helped me overcome many of the irritations I started to see in my business as I started to work with more clients. Even though I am naturally organised, as my business began to grow, things began to slip, and annoyances set in – I had to find a solution!

That solution was Trello, and now I am obsessed. All I have to do is open one of my boards and a card and know all the information is there to get one with the task in hand.

Little annoyances caused by disorganisation do not just cost you the extra time needed to deal with them. They also cost you mental energy and stress, and anxiety. Each little trigger can make you unfocused and hence de-motivated.

But remember to start small; you don’t have to do everything at once. If you try to do everything, you will fail, which will again de-motivate you. So don’t try to revamp all your systems but pick or two as an initial focus.

But if you want a system that will keep you organised all year round and provide a centralised place to store all your business information, I highly recommend Trello.

If you are unsure about Trello, I am happy to have an informal chat to talk you through the basics. Drop me an email at joanne@bravapro.com.

A Simple Guide To Tracking Goals with Trello

Why You Need To Manage Your Time Effectively

Time Management Made Easy – Chunking

Feb 17, 2023 | Time Management

How do you manage multiple tasks that are all important? There are only so many hours in the day and so much that needs to be done.

We often spend too much of the day on Task A, and then we don’t get anything done on Task B or Task C, not to mention routine daily stuff.

I’ve covered time management techniques in my blogs before (check these blogs out….)

How To Keep Your Day Running Smoothly

How To Use The Covey Matrix To Smash Your Goals

However, with time management, it’s not a case of one size fits all. So today, I’d like to tell you about the technique I use: chunking.

What Is Chunking?

Chunking involves taking each regular task and giving it its own “chunk,” or time block to work on.

This technique works because you look at each task and ensure you map out time to work on each of them.

Let’s say your daily to-do list looks like something this:

Social media time (answering questions, responding to comments, posting content, looking at your feed)
Work on an information product you’re creating
Work on a project for a client
Think about the future direction of your business and do some general planning
Conduct market research to create a better customer profile

Each of these items are important. You might put the client’s work first since it has a deadline, and there are consequences if you don’t finish. But what if you get engrossed in it or realise there’s more to do than expected, and it eats up your social media and planning time?

How Chunking Helps Your Manage Your Time

Chunking helps you balance all your to-do’s by assigning each one a daily timeframe.

With chunking, you can make steady progress on each task, and nothing will slip through the cracks.

Another huge benefit is that you don’t need to multitask. You can spend each chunk of time focused only on the designated activity.

Will you try Chunking with your to-do list and see if it works for you?

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Your Complete Guide for Spring Cleaning Your Laptop

Apr 2, 2022 | Organisation

The spring is here, and the weather’s getting warmer day by day. And because of that, many people spring clean their houses to greet the warmer weather with a clean house. And at the same time, small business owners should clean up their tech, hence this blog on spring cleaning your laptop.

But why should you do it, and how to do it most efficiently? Continue reading to find out.

Why Even Clean Your Desktop?

You might be wondering: “Why should I clean my desktop? Isn’t it just for aesthetical reasons?” While that might be the end result, cleaning up your laptop is more beneficial than that.

For example, your old laptop should start performing better than it used to. That will help you to work more efficiently, increasing your productivity. While the differences might be minor and only save you a few minutes a day, it adds up in the long term, saving you hours of time!

And now that you understand the benefits of cleaning your desktop, let’s start cleaning it, shall we?

Step #1 – Cleaning up your files and folders

First, let’s start by cleaning up our files. After a year of using your laptop, you’ve stored many files. These could be your invoices, social media graphics, documents, etc. And the more files you have, the worse your laptop will perform.

Here are a few things you should do:

First, delete any unnecessary files. For example, you probably don’t need your old social media graphics/images that you’ve already posted. So move anything you don’t need to the bin and empty it once you’ve searched all your folders.
Then organize the remaining files. For starters, create two main folders to separate work files from personal. Then sort your files even more by creating folders for customer data, marketing media, invoices, etc.
And lastly, use a cleaning software like CCleaner to clean your system from any unnecessary files. For example, they’ll clean your browsers from any unnecessary cookies on your browser.

Once done, you should have saved up a lot of space and sorted the remaining files for easy locating.

Step #2 – Back Up Any Files

While that has already made a big difference, we’re not done with it yet!

One of the biggest problems with computers is that something might happen to them after extended use. And that can mean we could lose critical files at any time. So instead of ruining your business, you should back them up.

One of the simplest and most secure ways to do that is by using a cloud service. You can load all the files into a server, which you can access later on any device. Some of the best you can use include Google Drive, Dropbox, and OneDrive.

However, these services could also go down, so you could also use an external drive to add as an added measure of security.

Step #3 – Run Updates And Scans

Now that the files are safe and secure let’s make sure your computer is all up-to-date. Check if you’re running the latest operating system. If not, then make sure to update it.

When you keep your laptop updated, your computer should run smoother and have added security. That, in return, will more likely prevent any cyberattacks and get your data from being leaked.

Additionally, be sure to check that all your software is updated as well. While most update themselves automatically, some require your permission for it. So check your business software and, if needed, update them as well.

Step #4 – Cleaning Up Your Email

Another place where we should clean up is in our mailbox. With time, you’ve probably subscribed to many newsletters. And unfortunately, they do two harmful things:

They take up a lot of storage
They make checking our mailbox take more time.

Step #5 – Update Your Website and Social Media Pages

Your small business is constantly evolving. You’ll introduce new products/services, change your locations, and much more in time. So sometimes, it’s easy to forget to update your texts about your company.

So start by going through all your social media profiles and website to see if all information is up-to-date. If not, change them.

Then, I’d suggest you go deeper into your social media pages:

First, analyze your overall performance. Look at your metrics, like your engagement rates, and find ways to where you can improve upon them.
Then, look if you’re spending too much time on posting. If that’s true, then using a scheduling app like Buffer or Hootsuite can help make social media marketing more bearable.
And lastly, do competitor research. Look at what they are doing with their social media sites, and try to replicate all the successful ones for your profiles.

After checking social media, I suggest you take a look at your website as well:

Start by updating all your apps and themes. That way, your visitors will have a smoother experience, and you’ll be able to use new features.
Then, analyse your blog. With it, you want to see if there are any blog posts you should update (due to outdated information) and what topics haven’t yet been covered.

Conclusion

Congratulations, you just finished spring cleaning your laptop! You should see your computer performing better than ever, increasing your productivity.

But if you’re looking for more ways of increasing your productivity or growing your business to the next level, why not schedule a call with me? Together, we can analyze your business and find ways to improve it.

If that sounds interesting, then you can schedule a call here! I’d love to help you out!

How To Spring Clean Your Desktop

Click Here

Bravapro | Swindon Virtual Business Manager | Spring Clean Your Desktop

Why You Need To Manage Your Time Effectively

Dec 8, 2021 | Time Management

We all have things we’d like to do in life, be it related to work or personal leisure. Often, we are in danger of becoming overwhelmed with tasks to complete that can bog us down and cause negative effects. If we are not careful these can also limit our productivity. Hence, it is important to understand how to manage your time in order to prevent overwhelm.

The core of nearly everything we want to do is time. The ability to manage our time effectively determines how we cope with the demands put upon us.

What Is Time Management?

Time management sounds easy. It is the art and science of working with your daily tasks to best fit them into the time available, but in practice it takes a fair amount of focus, attention and discipline.

The benefits of time management are that you gain back not only more time to spend on things you love, but also more energy and enthusiasm. Many tasks carry emotional weight with them. For some tasks, the more you put them off, the more they loom large over you. Their very presence causes stress. By getting them off your list, you mentally free yourself from that burden.

Other tasks bring joy to do them. They don’t even seem like “tasks” at all – they seem more like rewards. By working with the way you tackle tasks, and by evaluating which items even should be on the list in the first place, you build a momentum which carries you through everything you want to do in life, relieving stress and achieving your objectives.

The Key Is To Start

Make time soon to explore time management. Even small steps will add up quickly and get you on the path to success.

Not all time management techniques are suitable for everyone, the right method for you will depend on the type of person you are and your own time management issues.

Next Week Further Tips To Help You Manage Your Time

I hope this gives you a few ideas on how to manage your time effectively. However, in next week’s blog we will look at one of the main recognized techniques for time management – the Covey Matrix. Come back then to find out more!

Why not connect with me on LinkedIn to keep updated with all my hints and tips – CONNECT HERE

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How To Use The Covey Matrix To Smash Your Goals

Dec 5, 2021 | Business Planning, Time Management

Previously I talked about the importance of managing your time efficiently. One of the most important aspects of this is to evaluate the tasks in your life. Hence, you want to lay them out in a time management matrix. This gives you the critical information you need when planning how to work your way through the list

What Is A Time Management Matrix

The Time Management matrix goes by many names – the Covey Matrix, the Eisenhower Matrix, the Urgent Matrix, and many, many other variants. It’s been discovered and reused by business planners for decades. Presidents have used it. CEOs have used it. So have work-from-home parents and struggling students.

It’s all about the nature of each task. Let’s look at a grid with four cubes in it.

Tasks get put into whichever of these four cubes makes the most sense.

Seems simple, right? But if we look at the tasks we tend to do in life, a lot of them somehow end up being the “urgent but not important” ones. The things that cry the loudest and perhaps are quick, easy, and painless to do. It brings a sense of progress. But in the meantime, urgent and important things are often left undone because they seem complicated or stressful. And the non-urgent things keep getting shunted to the back of the list until suddenly they become urgent.

The aim of this matrix is to let you look logically at the items you have before you.

The Covey Matrix Explained

Urgent And Important (Do It Now)

Yes, these have to be done. If your car’s tire goes flat, it has to be fixed. You should always leave time in your schedule for these items which can pop up by surprise. That being said, it’s important to track your schedule over time. If certain things keep popping into this area, look for ways to head them off before they become urgent. It can sometimes mean you aren’t spending enough time in the second category, which is:

Not Urgent And Important (Schedule It)

The more you can work steadily on these important things at a reasonable pace, the better life in general goes. That flow of calm, smooth energy tends to maximize progress and quality. Bills should be paid on time. Correspondence should be kept up to date. Not only does it build a better system in general, but it also reduces stress on those involved.

Urgent And Not Important (Delegate)

We all fall for these tasks. Something exciting is happening. Someone stops by with a question or need. There’s a balance here. We don’t want to ignore everything around us – but there needs to be a focus. Find ways to lessen those distractions. Take steps to remind yourself just what is important to spend your time on, and why.

Not Urgent And Not Important (Don’t Do It)

Ah, the time sinks. We all have them. Sometimes they’re useful in small doses as stress relievers. But if you didn’t have the stress in the first place, you wouldn’t need these to take up even more time. The more you can whittle these tasks out of your schedule, the more time you’ll have available for the key things that have to get done. The more your life will open up to new, soul-filling possibilities.

How To Get Started

It’s a good idea to fill out this Covey Matrix regularly at first, so you get a firm handle on where your time is going. A downloadable version is available HERE. Once you get into the rhythm of it, it’ll be second nature to consider where a task falls. Still, it’s a good idea to fill in a grid every week or two, just as a reminder of what you need to focus on and where your path is currently heading.

How To Keep Your Day Running Smoothly

Why You Need To Manage Your Time Effectively

« Older Entries

How To Get More Organised

My Secret Weapon

What Is Chunking?

How Chunking Helps Your Manage Your Time

Why Even Clean Your Desktop?

Step #1 – Cleaning up your files and folders

Step #2 – Back Up Any Files

Step #3 – Run Updates And Scans

Step #4 – Cleaning Up Your Email

Further Reading – 7 Amazing Tips For Email Management

Step #5 – Update Your Website and Social Media Pages

Conclusion

What Is A Time Management Matrix

The Covey Matrix Explained

Urgent And Important (Do It Now)

Not Urgent And Important (Schedule It)

Urgent And Not Important (Delegate)

Not Urgent And Not Important (Don’t Do It)

How To Get Started