Most of us have heard the term “spring cleaning” (a thorough cleaning of a home or space) BUT have you ever thought of spring cleaning your business?!
Setting time aside each season to “clean up” your business can lead to better, more sustainable results throughout the year.
Here’s my top 8 areas I work with my clients on to help them get organized, prevent overwhelm, and grow their business. These actions may seem simply, but can have big impact on the life of your business. Let’s go!
- Paper Receipts
Even the most organized business owner can experience “Receipt Explosion”. Take time this month to collect paper receipts from your wallet, drawers etc & enter them into your accounting system (I recommend a system like QuickBooks Online). Doing this each quarter will help prevent that massive overwhelm at year-end tax time, as well as give YOU the essential info you need to make healthy financial decisions for your business.
- Digital Receipts
There seems to be a black hole for most business owners when it comes to recording digital receipts- it’s easy to “forget” them when you’re tracking expenses. Go through your email now and search for terms like: invoice, receipt, order, sales receipt, etc. Enter those into your accounting system and then file them in a custom folder inside your email (i.e. 2021 Receipts- Entered).
- Bank Statements
In this digital age, many banks are opting to provide digital bank statements vs. sending paper statements by mail. However, some banks may actually have restrictions on how far back you can access archived months online. I’ve had to file Statement Requests on behalf of clients who waiting too long to access their digital files- all of which takes extra time and costs $$.
Make it a healthy finance habit to log into your online banking and download + save digital statements each season; I like digital storage programs like Dropbox & Google Drive, or importing statements directly into QuickBooks Online. If you receive paper statements by mail, consider scanning them as ink can fade over time.
- Credit Cards
Much like banks, many credit card companies offer digital statements in lieu of mailing paper statements. During this spring cleaning for your business, you’ll want to download all available statements & save them for your permanent records.
Now is also a great time to review each statement and see if there are any out-of-date subscriptions that can be cancelled. Most of us have signed up for the odd trial and simply forgotten to cancel- a consistent review of those charges helps keep us on track with our budget!
- Budget
Speaking of budget- now is a good time to see how your cash plan compares with your actual spending (this can be as simple as running a quick “Profit & Loss” report in Quickbooks once you’ve caught up on entering sales & expenses for the quarter).
If you’re not what you should be tracking (or you can’t seem to make your budget stick) check out my top tips for building a better budget HERE.
- Password Updates
Did you know that some insurance policies require you to update your passwords on a regular basis in order to maintain coverage? ?.
In this age of doing business online, it’s a great idea to update your passwords regularly. Accounts like email, social media, & banking are common targets of cyber attacks. Add this to your “must do” spring cleaning business checklist!
- Security Updates
Along with passwords, now is a great time to review your online systems and update them- update WordPress plugins, remove old apps from your phone, update phone operating system, etc. Each new software/app release usually includes security updates so it’s an important action to take now to stay safe online. If you’re feeling intimidated by the technology side of updating the security for your website/store, there are tons of experts on Fiverr who offer this service (do a search for your specific technology system and you’ll find offers starting at $5)
- Goals Review
You’re almost there- you’ve already done a ton of spring cleaning for your business! Now it’s time to take a step back and reflect:
- What goals did you set for yourself last season?
- Did you meet them? Why, or why not?
- Are these goals still important/relevant to your business?
- Where would you like to be at the end of this next season?
- What actions can you take over the next few months to bring you closer to your goals? (Bonus: put it on your calendar so you actually do it)
SUMMARY
So there you have it: 8 easy ways to start spring cleaning your business. I’d love to hear your top 3- comment below or get social with me on Instagram.
It’s easy to get overwhelmed by the daily operations of running a business. But, by taking time to work ON your business (not just “in” it) regularly, you’re setting yourself up with healthy new habits that will help you create a business you truly love.
Happy Spring! ?
Affiliate Disclosure: I sometimes use affiliate links for my trusted fave products. If you click and purchase, I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you.
