10 Creative Ways to Use Sticky Notes In Your Small Business

***Full Disclosure: Visit our "Disclosure Policy and Cookies" for details. Affiliate links appear on this page from Google Adsense, Amazon, Impact affiliate members, and Shareasale affiliate members.****

Sticky notes (Affiliate Link) or 3M Post-its(R) are more useful than just creating beautiful murals displayed on high-rise windows in NYC and helping kids learn to spell. They can be used effectively in your business. This post will talk about creative ways to use sticky notes (Affiliate Link) to make your business more productive.

You may be wondering why do I need sticky notes for my business. Well, there’s something about real paper that makes us either want to take action to remove the clutter or get so frustrated that we want to take care of it right away. Either way, using them is a good option to help you get things done. So, let’s begin.

10 Ways to Use Sticky Notes

10 Ways to Use Sticky Notes

#1: It helps determine a deadline.

Many years ago, I managed a consulting firm. I was responsible for managing the two secretaries and one shipping/project manager, and 10+ sales force and trainers. It was quite a job ensuring we got the material and the invoices out to the appropriate client. Our biggest issue was making sure the project we received had a ‘due by’ date so we knew the tasks’ priority since we were not the ones responsible for setting up the schedule. So to rectify this, we created a priority scale and had the printing company print it on sticky notes (Affiliate Link) (here is an example below). This helped all the administrative staff know what project needed precedent.

The customized priority sticky notes scale had four letters:

A (Needed to be done by the end of the day)
B (Needed the project completed within two days)
C (needed the project completed by the end of the week)
D (no rush, whenever there is time.)

Each salesperson, trainer, and owner gave the administrative staff a project to place this customized priority sticky note on top of the project, or the project would be returned and not completed. We had too many projects going through the office that we couldn’t waste time tracking people down to find out the due dates. After starting this priority sticky note system, our productivity skyrocketed, and our stress level decreased.

#2: Strategizing new projects with sticky notes.

Different size sticky notes (Affiliate Link) can be placed on a markerboard (Affiliate Link) or chalkboard and allow you to move them around to get them in the correct order for your next project. This tip works perfectly for new product launches or activities needing a particular order. Using different colors works if you need to subdivide your larger tasks into smaller ones.

***Ad***

The standard sizes I like to use are:

Some have lines, and some do not. Depending on how structured of a list you need, you may want ones with lines on them. But, if you are brainstorming, you may not need lines.

***Ad***

#3: Assign a color to each person’s responsibility on a project.

In a group of individuals, making decisions can be overwhelming. The more people you have, the more difficult it is to know who should do what. So, try assigning a color to each and then, while laying it out on a poster board, cluster the different responsibilities in a particular order while going step by step through the process.

#4: Bookmark sections or pages in planners

If you have a planner and keep losing a page, get a smaller sticky note and write the section at the top where there is no sticky part and write the section name to keep it available for easy access.

#5: Moving activities from day to day in a planner

If there is a particular event that you need to do, but it is not a top priority task, add it to a small sticky note, and if you don’t finish it on a particular day, you can move it to the next day. Easy peasy.

#6: Distinguishing a specific file in a filing cabinet from all the rest of the papers.

Did you ever want to find a piece of paper fast and keep going through file after file, searching for that one critical piece? Place a sticky note with the name of what it is on it and extend it above the other documents and folders. And, the next time you need it, it will be at your fingertips.

#7: To bring attention to a particular task to your boss or coworker.

This tip will help you get your thought across without too much time. Just add a different color sticky note to the top of the paper and write the following in bullets. Hi, I need…. __________, _______ Thanks, ___________

#8: Writing notes to customers.

Did you ever have to remind your client of something, and the client preferred it in writing, or they would forget? I prefer to have it in writing so my clients (Affiliate Link) remember what is missing or what needs to be done before our next meeting. So, I created my customized sticky notes (Affiliate Link) through VistaPrint. They are pretty affordable too.

#9: Place important reminders using sticky notes on your desk.

I have several reminders under my see-through plastic desk blotter. Mine tends to move around on my desk (Affiliate Link), so by using sticky notes (Affiliate Link); help me from getting my notes thrown off my desk (Affiliate Link).

#10: Write down step-by-step instructions for different tasks.

Some years ago, I had a client who always forgot particular steps when doing tasks on her computer. To help her remember, we wrote down each step clearly and simply to remind her what she needed to do. It worked wonderfully so much, so she added even more notes.

Remember, sticky notes (Affiliate Link) are visual aids that help keep you moving forward without missing a beat. No judgment. Use as many of them as you need. I hope these ideas inspire you to get things done more organized.