Strategies and Tactics for Women by Dr. Shannon Reece

We have reached the final post in this fabulous series from guest expert, JP Jones. Today, JP shares how you keep yourself organized, even under the most challenging circumstances. If you haven’t had a chance to read Part One (Project Management), Part Two (Control the Email Crisis) or Part Three (Time Management), now’s your chance to catch up. Thank you for treating us to a fun and informative series, JP!

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For the fourth post in this series, we will tackle the final piece of effective product juggling in the Entrepreneurial circus.

Life as an entrepreneur is essentially the tightrope act. You’re walking that thin line between work and recuperation, sanity and well, the opposite of that.  . . (you get my meaning!).

Just like any tightrope walker, you want to make certain allowances to keep yourself alive—and for any entrepreneur the safety net beneath your rope is organization. From files, client accounts and paper trails all the way to taxes, it’s imperative that the entrepreneur is a master in organization.
Thankfully there are a plethora of resources and tools available to you to assist with your organizational undertakings—but organization is more than just tools and software, it’s about the way you process tasks and planning ahead.

4. Tightrope Walking: Organize, Organize, Organize

Documentation.

As your business grows, so does your need for organization. The more clients, customers, vendors and accounts you have—the bigger mess you can easily get into if you’re not careful!

When in doubt—email. One of the best ways to keep your tasks and priorities in order is to make sure that you are documenting EVERYTHING via follow-up emails.  When business is conducted over the phone it is easy to remember things differently or confuse topics. Following up every conversation or meeting with an email, keeps the facts straight and provides something all parties and refer back to as the business progresses.
Following up via email is only as good as making sure you also save and file those emails within a system that you can easily go back and filter later. I still occasionally find myself referring to emails that were sent literally years ago.

Close Out Tasks.

Now, that you’re following up everything with an email, let’s talk about your to-do list. First of all, if you don’t actively use some form of a To-Do list, I challenge you to try it for a week. You’ll be amazed at the results and productivity that comes from such a simple act!

But one of the most important steps of the organization process in terms of To-Do lists is making sure you are keeping it as streamlined as possible.

While it might sound obvious, many entrepreneurs get so busy trying to produce, that they fail to actually close out completed tasks. Not only does that process make you feel accomplished and boost your morale, it also clears up some clutter, whether you deal in paper or digital files. Keeping your list of tasks up to date and clear of clutter goes a long way in the organizational process to keeping your sanity in the workplace.

As you process information each day and assimilate your daily tasks, attend meetings and talk with clients or customers, be sure to keep organization at the forefront of your mind, it will truly save you time and trouble in the long run!
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JP Jones wears many hats. Among them are graphic designing, web designing, social media marketing, teaching, book publishing, blogging and writing. The author of “Market Yourself: A Beginner’s Guide to Social Media”, JP is the owner of Paige1Media & Paige1Publishing, a graphic design firm and publishing company that work with domestic and international clients on projects ranging from basic logo development to magazine and book design.

Her firms are contracted in joint venture with Collipsis Web Solutions, LLC. which handles Web Design and Development for clients around the world. Jones has also served as an adjunct instructor and guest lecturer for universities and conferences. Jones has had the honor of winning over 100 awards for her design and promotions work over the years. In 2010 she was named one of the Top 101 Female Bloggers to Watch for 2010 by Women’s Entertainment Magazine.

Jones has been designing professionally for over 9 years and immerses herself in the current trends and technologies emerging in the industry. Staying on top of technology is her job. Teaching it to others is her passion.