I work solo. I don’t have an assistant or someone who helps me manage any aspect of my business, and sometimes I think it’s a real wonder that I manage to stay on top of anything.
Organizing your small business is crucial. You need to stay on top of everything from administration to marketing and client projects to billing. That’s A LOT for one person to handle. Which means you need to set up a system that works for you to help manage it all.
While my system works for me (most of the time), it’s definitely not guaranteed to work for you. It’s important for us all to figure out our own paths because our businesses are unique. But if you’re struggling to find something that works for you, hopefully, my process will inspire you.
Airtable
I like Airtable because it’s free.
It’s like using a super-powered form of Excel or Google Sheets, but it can do way more. I use it to manage my content calendars for my blogs because it has the capacity to hold social media content, including images, so I can repurpose them down the road. I am not a one-use kinda gal.
Airtable also helps me record things like all of my published works, and ideas list for topics that I want to write about.
Trello
I also like Trello because it’s free. Honestly, in a lot of cases, free is my favorite number.
Trello holds my business binder. It’s what I use to connect with everything else. It also holds to-do lists and product ideas for me. Anything that I have a sort of outline or plan for and need to track somewhere goes to Trello.
Evernote
While Trello and Airtable are great for organization, they’re not so sharp when it comes to taking notes. That’s where Evernote comes in.
Also free, Evernote is where I log important notes and brainstorm ideas. These ideas don’t necessarily have a home yet but they need to be written down. I like it because I can use it on all my devices, so I’m never without a notepad.
Google Calendar
I used to use Google Calendar only for important meetings, but recently it’s become more of a side kick for me.
My Google Calendar connects to most of my other applications via Zaiper. If I enter a client’s due date for a project, Zapier makes a Trello card for it. It’s a great centralized place for me to go look at everything that I need to get done in a week as an overview. When it’s time I dig into Trello for the details.
Bonsai
Bonsai is my accounting app, but it does much more than that. Namely, it helps me manage expenses and ALL of my income (not just the stuff that comes in via payments) which is a real help to me.
Bonsai isn’t the perfect program, but it works for what I need it for. And I find it to be more affordable than some of the bigger accounting programs that I’ve never had good luck with.
How do you organize your business? Share your tips and tricks in the comments below!
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Tae started out as a journalist before following the money into the corporate world. But it turns out that the grass isn’t always greener and now you can find her spending most of her time writing about all the things she loves. Namely, money, travel and business with a hefty dose of self-deprecating humor. She is a podcast fanatic, blogging aficionado and loves to find new ways to turn passions into cold hard cash!