10 ways to spring clean your business

03/03/2016

It’s that time of year where people begin to think about spring cleaning around the house and in the garden. It’s a great way to clear out clutter, tie up loose ends and refresh your home. But how much time do you spend cleaning your business?

Many businesses are so focused on their day-to-day activity that they fail to improve on the work they have already done. But, thankfully, spring can serve as a reminder to look for ways to refresh your offerings and make your organisation more effective.

Here are 10 ways to spring clean your company in order to reduce costs, improve performance and generate new business:

1. Clear out your emails

The average worker receives 121 emails each day. That’s a lot for anyone to digest, so it’s time to sort the treasure from the trash. Deep cleaning your inbox can be a daunting task, even for the most organised professionals, so rather than take on the job in one sitting, dedicate 15-20 minutes each day to reduce the workload. You can automate some of the process using tools such as searches, labels and filters.

2. Dust off your business plan

An efficient business plan is a good tool for identifying potential problems, establishing goals and measuring your progress. But many business owners write one when they set up and then forget it exists as their business grows. So, use this time of year to go back and revisit your plan and update it to keep pace with the rest of your company.

3. Refresh your website

With more people than ever taking to the internet before making a purchase, it’s vital that your website is making the right impression. Is your brand being accurately represented? Is the website user-friendly and easy to navigate? Is your product offering up to date? Simply refreshing your website could be the boost needed to encourage more purchases.

4. Remove clutter

Spring is a great time to get rid of the old to bring in the new. Get rid of anything that isn’t needed. You could sell some of your unwanted stuff to make more money or perhaps giving it to charity would be more rewarding. A tidy office makes for tidy minds.

5. Equip your business with tools to grow

Having an “out with the old, in with the new” mentality is great but only if you have the tools available to meet increased demand. Does your business have the right equipment and space to deal with growth? Do you have enough staff to meet the requirements of more orders? Is your cash flow healthy enough to cope with increased demand? These are all things that need to be considered before you set your sights on growth.

6. Repurpose old content

In the same way you might revamp old furniture to give it a new lease of life, you can also repurpose old content to bring in new custom with little effort. If you had a really successful blog article that generated loads of leads for your business don’t just let it sit there gathering dust. Keep sharing it and transform the content into other mediums so you can reach new audiences and make the most of your hard work.

7. Sharpen your skills

Refreshing your mind is just as important as refreshing your home. When was the last time you or your staff took part in some training? Attending a course can develop skills, boost productivity and open your mind to new opportunities. Plus, networking at such events can be extremely valuable.

8. Get rid of bad debts

Nothing feels better in business than getting paid for your products and services, but a quick glance at your sales ledger could reveal a number of outstanding balances as late payment continues to affect the majority. It’s common knowledge that the longer an invoice goes unpaid the harder it is to collect the money, so stop letting your unpaid invoices gather dust and start the action needed to get them paid. If you don’t have the time or resource to dedicate to chasing them in-house you may benefit from bringing in a debt collection agency.

9. Vet your expenses

Benchmarking your expenses at this time of year could open your eyes to ways to quickly save money and boost your cash flow with little effort. Are you paying for services or subscriptions you no longer use? Are you paying new service charges and fees that you didn’t know about? Could you be getting better deals from other suppliers?

10. Hire help

Especially for smaller businesses, finding the time to spring clean your office can seem impossible. With core business tasks to focus on you won’t want to take time away from the day-to-day running of your company. But, help is at hand. These days you can outsource almost everything – cleaning, bookkeeping, credit control, recruitment. Whatever tasks you need help with there’s bound to be someone out there happy to take on the job for you.