Being organized in business is important. Over the years I’ve picked up many tidbits of info on how to organize your business as a solopreneur. But I wasn’t always this way. Have you ever done something in your past that you look back at… cringe… and think oh how could I? I have a terrible version of this. I hate just thinking about it, let alone putting it into writing. Many years ago when I first started with blogging (forget a business, just a blog), I used to come across so many resources. I would print them out. I was so afraid I’d lose a digital version.
Until the crap hit the fan as they say. I hit a point where I had too many “resources” and I couldn’t find things, wasn’t implementing anything, and using my old system just made it a nightmare and costed me so much time.
In the end what it boiled down to was embracing the technology, deciding to be organized, making a system that works for me and my brain, and keeping up with it.
But I know there’s a lot in that category and it can leave you wondering how to organize your business as a solopreneur.
I’ll be mentioning this tool later but you may want to grab this up now. Asana is an information hub for me and my right arm. But I know new tools can be scary, so I want to give you a copy of my free Asana Setup guide, so you can get started and make the most of it.
So, ready to learn how to organize your business as a solopreneur? Let’s talk about my favorite tools to get the job done.
Why Be Organized
If my nightmare of a story (eesh) wasn’t enough, let’s be real. How productive are you really? How much time do you waste looking for things? Are you doing things over and over because you don’t have an organization system?
It can cost you precious time as a solopreneur, especially when you wear all the hats. It can be downright overwhelming.
Being organized is how you can get more done, have some sanity back in your day, and actually make you happy.
Like I mentioned earlier, Asana is my right arm. It’s my hub for all my tasks, business management… everything. I reference this and keep it open all day on my desktop.
It holds my editorial calendar, business education tracking, product creation… and so much more.
Before I used Asana I used to use ClickUp. They’re very similar. They both can be used to house a ton of information. What it comes down to is the preferences of some small features and how the tool is used.
It’s something you’ll have to decide for yourself. But I’ve outlined why I switched to Asana here when I tell you about the 5 things I love about Asana.
Google Drive
This is what I use to store all of my files. Asana links to all of them so they’re handy and easy to find. This is the house of the digital information that is my business.
Asana is how I organize, categorize, and find that information. And that’s how these two beauties work together to keep me organized, on top of things, and stress free.
I don’t usually talk about a tool I don’t have a ton of experience with. But this one is worth mentioning. Airtable has some cool features. Think of it like a fancier digital Excel file meets ClickUp or Asana. But without as many features of Asana or ClickUp.
Either way, it’s a pretty cool way to store digital information. So if you’re looking for another way to store some digital information look into Airtable. It’s not something I really use but it definitely has some great features and potential.
Tips to Organize Your Business as a Solopreneur
There are a few things you can do to make organizing go a little bit smoother. And these are my favorite most used tips.
- Make Systems – Create a system for doing anything you do repeatedly. This will help you save time. As you do things in the same order every time you get faster because your brain creates what’s called neural pathways. Think about the first time a kid learns to ride a bike. They get there, but it’s clunky. As time goes on they get better and better.
- Write Your System Down – It’s okay if you don’t remember the procedure for things at first. I don’t and I wouldn’t expect you to either. The best way to do this, make what’s called an SOP for short. It stands for Standard Operating Procedure. It’s a step by step guide of how to do something from start to finish. Keeping this handy is helpful when you’re trying to get a new procedure down pat. And having these documented makes it easier to bring on a team member when you hit that point.
- Color Code Things – Using color coding for things can help you easily identify and sort things out. When you use the same color for a topic or category, you can easily identify that no matter where you go.
- Don’t Be Afraid to Try Another Way – Over the years I’ve tweaked and changed my organizing system. Try something once, give it some time. If it doesn’t work, try another way. Don’t be afraid to try another option. Don’t beat yourself up over it either. Give yourself some grace and time to figure out what works best for you.
I know the idea of trying to organize your business is scary, and it may feel like a mountain of work is before you.
It may feel like you’ll never get it done. The important part is to make a list of what needs done and take it one step at a time.
Just remember, it’s okay to wonder how to organize your business as a solopreneur. It’s okay to feel overwhelmed. Just keep going.
My recommendation is to make a list and start somewhere. You could block out a time frame every week to work on it. Start by managing your day to day stuff and work from there. And my favorite way to do that is with Asana. And if you’re new to Asana grab my Asana Setup guide. It’s everything you need to know to be comfortable with it from day one.
