To Do or Not to Do

When starting a business, there is so much to do. This fact doesn’t change as the business gets older. In fact, there are more things to do to keep the entire operation going. So that your brains don’t get scrambled, learn the value of “To Do” lists as they pertain to your business.

I have often employed this type of listing in other areas of my life. Lists help to keep your thoughts organized. When grocery shopping, a list keeps you from purchasing items that you didn’t need or only wanted because you were hungry. “To Do” lists also function as an alternative to the hair-pulling technique when it comes to managing a household.

So, how can these lists help in business? First of all, “To Do” lists prioritize your work. Today could be the day you hold a teleconference with a big client. Preparations need to be made for the meeting. A list ensures that you have all of the research, documents, and other information needed for the meeting. The last thing that you want to do is have a client hear you riffling through papers trying to find a document that you forgot.

Lists avoid the dreadful issue of wasting time. This is especially a big issue when you work from home or conduct an online business. It is easy to get mired down in details and lose sight of the big picture. After an entire day of wading through emails and spending hours searching for records, you may wonder what you actually accomplished during the day.

Tackling the invoices and filing paperwork is important, but not at the expense of your business. By this I mean that the main focus of your business is to grow and make a profit. To do that, you stay in contact with clients, work on your marketing strategy, and most importantly, deliver the product.

Some items are more important than others. A list separates the “need to be done” tasks from the tasks that can wait until the weekend when the pressure is off. Impending deadlines are usually reserved for the top of the list so that nothing gets overlooked and a client doesn’t go away angry because they didn’t get their product as promised.

Most people scribble their lists on pieces of paper. However, the type of “To Do” list we are talking about here is more organized. Have a notebook or spiral binder that is dedicated to your lists. Each day, date your list. Check off each item as it is finished. What doesn’t get finished can go on the top of the list for the next day if it is highly important that it get done right away.

It is a major feat to keep facts, figures, meetings, and projects in our heads all at once. It is easy to forget one of them. Avoid the headache and utilize “To Do” lists.

For regular ideas on how to improve your business don’t put joining my Newsletter on your “to do” list – do it Now! Paul Duxbury’s Business Success Newsletter

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