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Usually, the beginning of the new year is slow for businesses. Since the New Year falls in the middle of the week, people are likely on vacation, the office is desolate, and no one is calling to ask for something. It’s a great time to finish these 10 Things You Should Do Right Now for a more organized new year.
Get your receipts in order.
The first thing You Should Do Right Now is review your receipts. Create categories in your bank register so you can reach your receipt quickly if you have questions. If you decide to go digital with your receipts this year, check out and get a copy of my file structure to help you keep your receipts organized. How to Make a Well-Organized Business Digital Receipt Organizer
Go through your invoices and place them in order by each client and by date.
The next thing you should do is go through your invoices. Place the newest invoice on top. January should be in the back, and December should be at the top.
Pull out your paid business bills and create new folders for the new year.
You can turn the manila folders (Affiliate Link) inside out to get a fresh new side to write on for organizing your bills.
Make a long-term plastic bin for your old business files.
Repurpose a bin over 7 years old by shredding the content except for the tax return for that year. You need to keep the tax return forever.
Review your papers on your desk.
Do you need them? Did your plans change, and are you no longer doing that? Visit my post: 30 Desk Items To Throw Away For A Tidy Space to see the items you can eliminate without regret.
Revisit your in bins on your desk.
Papers can quickly pile up through the year. Decide if you want to keep the papers. Are the papers a perfect resource for your new year goals? If you do not have bins on your desk (Affiliate Link) to manage your current paperwork, maybe you should get one so you will be more organized next year.
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Go through your filing cabinets.
Revisiting your filing cabinets is one of the things you should do right now. Look through your client files (Affiliate Link). Remove old clients (Affiliate Link), revisit business bills, credit cards, and other items you stored in the cabinet. Ask yourself, “How often did I look for this particular file in the last year or two?” If never, remove it or transfer it to a long-term file bin.
Go through your ‘other’ long-term files and shred papers older than seven years.
These are the file bins from prior years, so you can free up space in your storage area. Freeing up space mentally helps you clear the junk you no longer need. Visit our post on How Long Should I Keep Business Records for more tips.
Change out your calendar to the new year.
If you have a yearly monthly calendar, it is time to update it for the new year. These monthly calendars are great for seeing the big picture and timing of different tasks. Having two calendars, one for the current month and the next, works nicely when you need to plan. Visit our resources every owner needs page for more products you may need.
Review your daily planner and your digital calendar
Lastly, reviewing your daily planner and digital calendar should be one of the Things You Should Do Right Now. See if unwanted items or recurring appointments no longer apply. Some appointments stay on your electronic calendar, but they no longer apply. This is the time to clear it out.
Visit these posts below for more ideas on what to eliminate in the new year.
Getting your business ready for the new year will refocus your energy and allow you to let go of the previous year’s incomplete tasks. Making this process a priority at the beginning of the year prepares your head for new opportunities for the coming year. Are you ready for a change? Start doing this today and refocus yourself and your business.
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