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I used to be a Professional Organizer.
I did 4-hour sessions in people's homes to get rid of things they weren't using anymore and then tidy up and create systems for the things they kept. I also used to do this with my middle school students. Three times a year we cleaned out their binders. They, obviously, loved me.
This all stems from the fact that I am a natural organizer. It was ingrained in me from an early age.
In my family, my grandmother, two aunts, and my mom start their spring cleaning in February. I've tried to explain that February is not spring, to which I get scathing looks and a reminder that when we finally get warm weather we ENJOY it by going outside, not cleaning. They do have a point.
Anyway, the Stanek women don't mess around. Spring cleaning isn't just dusting and mopping and call it a day. You don't understand. It's a PROCESS.
There are lists. So.many.lists. Categories on the lists. There are symbols on the list denoting if the tasks should be done annually, bi-annually, etc. Walls are washed, ceilings are washed (sometimes while balancing on dangerous step stools with no regard for safety), and tile grout is scrubbed with toothbrushes. Closets are completely emptied, wiped down, and then refilled neatly. I told you...PROCESS. Typically weeks long. Honestly, it's really like a sickness.
So, as my uncle says, "what's that got to do with the price of eggs?" (I'll never understand this expression, sometimes I feel like Upstate New Yorkers have their own language).
Well, I'm in my home office and realized that it's May 2nd and I have not yet started my spring cleaning. This is unacceptable by Stanek family standards but you see, I have a plan. I show my mom how busy I am and then when she visits she inevitably cannot stand it and has to do it. (Hi Mom! I know you're reading this.)
What I WILL get started on, before she arrives back in the Northeast from her snowbird home in sunny Florida, is tidying the office and the business itself. I got SO excited about this (I told you, it's a sickness and I really think it's genetic) that I made a blog post about it. Keep scrolling for the 8 Ways to Spring Clean Your Business.
Happy May, and remember it's never too late to organize!
Streamline Your Systems & Processes
Do your systems and processes make your day easier or more difficult? You can call it an SOP, workflow, or checklist–these are pivotal to running a smooth business, especially if you want to scale it. All of my business SOPs are inside of ClickUp. I am confident that if I fall ill, my team can carry on without me because it’s all in there.
Automating as much as you can is also key. You want to give your clients a professional experience and that begins and ends with onboarding and offboarding. My favorite Customer Relationship Management (CRM) tool is 17Hats and I use it for intake forms, contracts, invoices, and payment processing. CRMs are one of my favorites to set up for clients.
If you find yourself in and out of different platforms all day, think about consolidating and streamlining your tech stack. If you have online courses/memberships, you especially want to use as few as possible. Kartra is my favorite for an all-in-one platform.
When was the last time you checked in with past clients? If you don’t have testimonials, reach out! My favorite way to collect these is with Arrivala.
Organize Your Digital Files
I get it, it’s a headache to think about organizing all of your digital files. Spring is a great time to get it done and feel refreshed! You have files on your desktop and in the cloud that should be processed and collected in one spot. I am entirely biased because it is my favorite, but Google Drive is the way to go for cloud-based file storage.
Here are some steps that work no matter where you store your files:
Go through each existing folder and –
Delete anything outdated, duplicated, or unnecessary
Archive files you might need but don’t use
Rename any files that don’t have a clear, searchable title
Update your organization structure
Add new folders (I like to start with Personal and Business and then subfolder from there)
Remove old folders
Merge folders when it makes sense
Put everything in its proper place
I highly recommend a Netflix marathon while you do this. The more often you do this, the less time it will take in the future.
RESOURCES: Google Drive
Amplify Your Email Marketing
If you’ve ever sent an email marketing campaign, first clean your list. This means deleting/archiving inactive subscribers. A lot of ESPs (email service providers) charge by the number of subscribers on your list. You may think having a lot of them is great, but if they aren’t opening your emails then your open rates and deliverability aren’t looking too great.
How does your template look? Does it need an update? Are all the links in your footer working?
When’s the last time you reassessed your email marketing strategy? Are you consistent? Do you want to send more/less emails and/or try a different time and day of the week to send them?
RESOURCE: My Favorite ESP: ConvertKit
Declutter Your Inbox
On average we spend 28% of our work week on email, more than 11 hours! There are so many reasons I recommend you keep a tidy inbox. You don’t deserve the anxiety of thousands of emails that you don’t read and losing the ones you need. My biggest tip is to unsubscribe whenever possible!
RESOURCE: Become Inbox Royalty | Join Liz
Reconsider Your Social Media
It’s time to update your bios across all platforms! Keywords are what make you show up in searches. Think about what your ideal client is searching for.
Get consistent and aim to post 2-3 times a week. Remember you can push one post to multiple platforms with schedulers like Buffer (it’s free!).
Plan out content a month in advance by thinking of 1 theme/month and then 4 sub-themes. Now you’ve got 4 weekly newsletters and out of each one you can definitely get 2-3 posts. BOOM! Bulk Content Creation!
RESOURCE: Buffer
Delegate
My favorite thing in personal and business life! I have a housecleaner, Instacart, and I equally split household tasks with my husband. This makes all the difference for our busy family. Similarly, when you invest in someone to help with your business, they can save you time and make you money.
RESOURCES: Your Dream Team | My Podcast Episode About Delegation
Spruce Up Your Website
Websites used to be set it and forget it. Now it’s poor form to have broken links and outdated information. You should check each page regularly.
Your website should both connect with your audience and provide all the information they need. If it doesn’t, there’s really no point in having one.
RESOURCE: Our Website Design Portfolio
Tidy Your Office
Time for some actual organizing! Cluttered desks are the doom of productivity.
Throw away/recycle anything you no longer need
File/scan papers you need to keep (refer to #2 above!)
Move anything that doesn’t belong to its rightful spot
Give it a good clean (wipe surfaces & screens, vacuum, shine those windows)
Decorate with things that bring you joy
RESOURCE: To Shred Or Not To Shred?