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Planning in the Cloud 2015: How to Tackle Overwhelm And Get Organised Now!

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Getting and staying organized is like losing weight. Short-term solutions don't work. You've got to make lifestyle changes that you and your employees or business partners can stick to in the long-term

In this blog, we'll provide tips and step by step “how tos” on how to get both your business and your own personal data organized and one great tool that can help you or your business stay organised.

One of the simplest and most overlooked aspects of being organized is getting your computer files organized. It’s something that’s easy to take for granted, especially when you forget that most people don’t use their computers like us crazy systems-people do. We will look at some good practices for keeping your files and documents neat, in folders and easy searchable and accessible
The idea of organizing files and documents goes back to the good-old-days of filing cabinets and paper. Hopefully, you’re someone who has already made the switch to going paperless

Now we’ll show you how to put that into practice with computer folder naming conventions and structures. Most businesses will implement these folder structures either on their servers, using Dropbox or within a project management suite, but they are equally applicable right on your own desktop or in an email client.

What are folders, really?

Folders are the skeleton of your business. Like a building’s structure, they support everything else that goes up around them, from creative design to straightforward functionality.
Small businesses in particular should note that fact: An organised company is one that’s positioned for growth. You may think that because there are only two people in the company now, you can keep a lot of information in your head and not map it out to a folder structure. Unfortunately, when it’s time to hire new employees and grow your business, you’ll waste a lot of time teaching them your convoluted system. You’ll waste even more time and money correcting mistakes, time and money you should be spending on growth.


Your folder structure is a reflection of your business structure. Folders are nested within other folders in a hierarchical system that needs to match the hierarchical order of your work.

My personal test for organization is this: you should be able to find the majority of your documents
 without using Search. If you can’t, you’ve got some housecleaning to do.

For you to tackle overwhelm and get organised, your desktop should be folders free and clean like this image below;

Before we get into the nitty-gritty of file organization, I want to give a mention to Dropbox. It is an absolutely amazing tool for organising your files, backing up your documents, and using them between different devices and computers. It’s also great for sharing documents with others. If you use Dropbox and have a paid account with storage (highly recommended)

DropBox: How It Works

Your Dropbox folder works just like any other folder on your hard drive, except that everything is in your Dropbox Folder and any other computer with Dropbox installed, it automatically syncs with the web. Dropbox is also free with up to 2GB of space.

With Dropbox you can access your files and folders any time from your desktop, mobile and web or through any application connected to Dropbox. Dropbox allows file sharing with others, and update linked devices when files are added, changed, or deleted.

Now we are diving into the nitty gritty of file organisation.

The first step is to block out some time--an appointment with yourself to get organized. Most record-keeping is electronic, and a disorganized computer filing system and desktop can be frightening. So I recommend you start with your computer.

Create a file structure on your computer or network that works for you. Every business is different, so your filing system will be different, too. However, it helps to have a base system from which to start--or restart. So if you don't currently have a good structure, start with electronic folders labelled as follows; 

Step 1
Step 2
Step 3
Then here, you can also arrange sub-folders as follows;
  • Business Planning
  • Sales & Marketing
  • Product or service
- 1
- 2
- Etc.
- Specifications
- Images

  • Financials & Legal
- Profit & Loss: Annual, Monthly, Weekly
- Balance Sheet: Annual, Monthly, Weekly
- Accounts Payable
- Accounts Receivable

  *Legal
- Corporate Documents
- Contracts
- Intellectual Property
- Litigation
- Information/Template documents, e.g. partner agreements

  •  Human Resources
- Payroll
- Benefits
- Personnel
- Forms

  • Design & Creatives
- Presentation
- Advertising
- Website
- Sales
- Customers
- Partners

Then start to put every electronic file into a folder. When you encounter a file that doesn't fit, either create a sub-folder or a new folder.
In the end, all that matters is that your filing system provides a place for everything and that you can locate important documents when you need them. The one universal element to organization is the need to maintain it on an ongoing basis. This is not a once-a-year or even once-a-month activity. It's something that should be maintained each day. If a new category comes up, create a new file or file drawer for it immediately.
Is your turn now, please drop your comment below:) 

Most of us know how important organization is, but I hope this reminder inspires those who need to pause and get organized.

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