Running a home business alone is a big task, but it can be tremendously rewarding and a fantastic testament to your entrepreneurial spirit. No matter what your business might be, it’s nice to be able to create your own income, structure your own business, and work for yourself instead of someone else. For some, this lifestyle is worth earning a little less at the beginning of your business venture.
Sure, there are some aspects of the business you may outsource, like hiring an accountant to help with your books, but if you’re still fuelling that process, so you get to take credit for it.
In this post, we’ll discuss how to quickly improve your home business workflow in as little as one hour. Let’s dive in.
Organize Your Files & Folders
Our first task of the day is to focus on organizing our files and folders. If you’ve been rushing from online meeting to meeting, been planning projects with as much creativity as possible, and have been trying to manage many different pursuits at once, it’s not uncommon for your desktop to look as though a digital grenade has dropped into your virtual environment.
This is why it’s good to take some time to rename files, to create files and dated subfolders, and to set them up accordingly. Then, indexing this so that when you type in your search bar for an item it appears is key. From here, backing up your folders so that they automatically upload to the cloud storage unit of your choice can make a tremendous difference. This way, you don’t have to worry about constant backups, but you can check in to make sure everything is updated from time to time. You’d be stunned at how well this can work over the long term.
Consider Your Computing Environment
It’s good to think about how well your computer has been functioning. If you’ve noticed that you need to clean it up a little and to make sure the computer runs a little faster, these tips and tools to help you out can make a thorough difference.
It’s also good to invest in devices and peripherals that help you out. A nice mic stand for your microphone so that video conferences or content you make is crisper and more seamless to attend to, without taking up desktop space, could be a nice investment. The same goes for graphics tablets, mechanical keyboards that are softer on your fingers, ergonomic office chairs that allow you to sit down for ten hours a day (with standing breaks and exercise between) and not damage your back can be a great use of your time.
Manage Your Address Book
It’s important to manage your address book so that you can keep on top of your updated contacts as much as possible. This may require deleting old contacts that serve no purpose, uploading your contacts to your cloud storage so you never lose them, and even purchasing a work phone so you can keep these numbers separate from your mainline phone.
Additionally, filling out the details of your contacts can make the process easier. This might mean filling out a contact point with their email, phone, a picture, some notes that you have for your own personal reminders, and more.
Consider Your Professional Profiles & Security
It’s important to consider your professional profiles in terms of security. Two-factor authentication can make a big difference here. With an authenticator app, you can ensure that even if someone gets hold of your login details, they won’t be able to pass the second verification step.
Meanwhile, your email or phone will light up with the notification of someone trying to access your data, which can help you immediately change the password. In the long run, this might make the kind of difference that allows you to avoid downtime, to keep safer online, and to even begin encrypting your traffic through a VPN, which is worthwhile, especially when on public WiFi networks.
With this advice, you’re certain to improve your home business workflow in one hour. A little bit of attention and planning can help you for the next month. This helps you remain productive and competitive in the best possible manner.
