When you are an online business owner, it’s important to stay focused on the most basic online business tools needed and learn to use them well. If you get sucked into Shiny Object Syndrome, you will waste valuable time on things that don’t give you a return on your investment.
But once you have decided on the tools you need, how do you ensure that they truly help you organize your business?
Here are four important steps you can take today to stay on the road to organizational success.
Commit to learning the online business tools you choose.
Once you have made your tool choices, it is imperative that you commit some time to learn to use them well. For example, if you choose to use Google Workspace, take a short course to learn the basics of using the platform.
We all believe we do not have time to spend on such small things, but I can guarantee that if you learn the tools you choose now, you will shave off time every day when you are working in that platform.
One successful leader I know schedules 30 minutes on her calendar each week just to learn something new about the tools she and her team use. Half an hour doesn’t sound like much, but each week she learns something that she can put into practice immediately to make her days more productive.
Create daily habits for keeping your business organized
As your business grows and days get busier, it is tempting to let your early organization decisions fall by the wayside. But it is not wise. Staying on top of your digital organization is key to maximizing your profitability.
The best way to keep things on track is to develop daily habits. A top priority for habit formation is to create a solid morning and evening routine. What do you do when you begin your workday? Develop a set of steps involved so that things that seem urgent don’t crowd out the important planning that typically takes place in the morning.
Similarly, how does your day end? Do you block off 15-30 minutes to close out your day? This does two important things. It helps you close the book on the day mentally. Which in turn helps you focus on important things outside of work like your family. It also allows you to know exactly where things stand when you open back up for business the next morning.
In recent years, the lines between our work and personal lives have been blurred. It seems that we are always “on” which has proven to be detrimental to our physical and mental health, as well as our relationships.
Communication routines should also be established with your clients and your team. A very wise mentor once told me that we train others how to treat us. In the realm of communication, that means I can establish “rules” around when and how I will communicate.
Before working with a client, be sure to outline exactly what forms of communication you respond to and in what timeframe they can expect to hear back from you. If you work with a team, create team expectations and stick with them. As the leader, your commitment to these “rules of engagement” will set the tone for the whole team.
Delegate smaller tasks to a virtual assistant
Perhaps you don’t need expert knowledge of every tool your online business uses. But someone on your team should. Rely on that person to make sure the tools you are using are still the right fit for your organization.
A word of caution. You must still have some basic knowledge of your tools or you will frustrate your team and become a bottleneck for progress. Let your assistant lead you, showing you what is essential to learn.
Use those tools to delegate work that you own to someone else. This is where your work management tool will be most effective. You can simply create the task or process and hand it over inside the tool. Once complete, your team member can alert you. Simple as pie.
Hire a consultant to help you learn the tools you choose.
If using free learning options is not cutting it for you and your team, go ahead and hire an expert to help you and your team. You may need to skip the link clicks and free videos for a live human to help with your specific needs.
Finding the right expert may not be easy, but it will be worth it. Start by going to the software tool’s website to see if they have certified experts available for hire. You may even find someone who can answer your questions that is employed by the software company.
Here are some options:
How well you use your basic online business tools is the key to moving your business forward. If I had one word of caution for someone who was just starting out in the online business world, it would be to start with a few key tools, then learn and use them well.
