It's important to be organised so that you can keep your business under control. Below are some tips to ensure your business runs smoothly.

I've got a confession to make – I've never been one of the most organised people in the world. Not sure why I'm this way – maybe it's a male thing!

On my good points, I used to be a competitive swimmer, so early morning rigorous training and workouts were (and still are) something I'd turn up to without failure. And I can meet deadlines and have proved that over the years with my writing and radio commitments.

These days I have an assistant who keeps me in check, but in the early days of my business I confess that keeping organised posed a problem at times. (As soon as I could afford it, I brought someone in to eliminate that weakness – see, I do practice what I preach!)

So how's your level of organisation? Are you stressed out with paperwork? Does the phone ring incessantly? (If it does, that's a good sign!) Do emails flood in? Is there never enough time in the day to get things done? Most people know they have to get organised but the only thing stopping them is they don't know how to.

I met a woman on one of the roadshows I do and her name is Lorraine Pirihi. She is one of these organised types and set up her business to help others reduce the stress and clutter from their lives. In fact, her business is called The Office Organiser!

Tips for getting organised

She has some good tips for business owners who need to sort out their act. Here are some of Lorraine's organisational gems:

• Write it down

Record your appointments and things to do on a daily basis. Most importantly, follow up on your promises. That's why most people over-promise and under-deliver … they do not write down what they promise and when they will do it.

• Set up a filing system

Organise your paperwork and electronic files into logical categories: clients, suppliers, bank, leases, insurance, staff, tax, etc.

• Plan time to work on your business

Allocate a particular time each week to review your strategies and plan for the future.

• Lead from the front

Keep your mind open to new ideas. Keep learning, read, listen and attend seminars that will develop you personally and professionally.

• Look after your business

Set aside time on a weekly basis to work on your business. Review what's been happening and what's possible for the future. Communicate regularly with your clients and your suppliers. If you look after people, they'll look after you.

• Learn to say no

To dramatically improve your productivity and do more of the things you want, you must be firm with others and let them know if you can not, will not or are unavailable to fulfil their requests. If you constantly say yes to everyone else's requests, you'll never have the time to do what you really want to.

• Delegate or outsource

See if there are ways you can delegate tasks that would suit someone else's talents. Many office and home-based workers are spending heaps of time on mundane secretarial tasks that would take a person trained in that area a quarter of the time to do. Consider using a part-time person or virtual assistant.

• Avoid unnecessary meetings

Before agreeing to attend a meeting, check if you really need to be there. Maybe a phone call or email will be just as effective.

• Prepare checklists

Any task that has to be undertaken on a regular basis and involves a number or items or steps to complete requires a checklist. A checklist is just a simple list of the items, steps and procedures that need to be followed to achieve the end result. For example, a sales person can prepare a list of items to take on every call: diary, client file, product list, order forms, products, etc.

You might even think that some of this is pretty basic, and it is. But it's the basic stuff we need to master in business if we want to get ahead. If you're hopeless at getting yourself organised make it a priority goal to pay someone to keep you in line. Even if you can't afford it now, write down a date when you'll bring someone in – for long-term sustainability, you can't afford not having your act together.

By Peter Switzer

The opinions expressed are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of Optus or its associated companies.

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