Helping with organisation and being a sole trader.
Discussion
Dear God I can't do this.
I'm a naturally very messy but tidy person. I like organisation and knowing that everything is done - I just don't ever achieve it.
I need help! I have a diary - it's empty (I rely on my brain and it fails)
The business cards are in the bottom of my bag amongst receipts and bits of paper with notes on.
My accounts are currently non-existent as I've found a hatred of Excel and decided I'm going to do them on paper.
Please someone help me get organised
I've actually got no idea how to run a business in a streamlined way. Or any way.
Help.
I'm a naturally very messy but tidy person. I like organisation and knowing that everything is done - I just don't ever achieve it.
I need help! I have a diary - it's empty (I rely on my brain and it fails)
The business cards are in the bottom of my bag amongst receipts and bits of paper with notes on.
My accounts are currently non-existent as I've found a hatred of Excel and decided I'm going to do them on paper.
Please someone help me get organised
I've actually got no idea how to run a business in a streamlined way. Or any way.
Help.
As my numbers bod says, 'keep everything'.
In other words, if you can't manage to keep your own books (I use a simple cashbook BTW, it doesn't crash) just keep all receipts and invoices in a shoebox and give them to your accountant/book-keeper at the end of the year.
As for sales and marketing, that's up to you I'm afraid. Some people are so good at what they do that they don't to do any - work just arrives, but it's rare.
In other words, if you can't manage to keep your own books (I use a simple cashbook BTW, it doesn't crash) just keep all receipts and invoices in a shoebox and give them to your accountant/book-keeper at the end of the year.
As for sales and marketing, that's up to you I'm afraid. Some people are so good at what they do that they don't to do any - work just arrives, but it's rare.
I've got a box full of receipts (now taken from handbag) - sadly am doing my own books (don't mind doing other peoples but doing my own just kills me)
It seems like this week I've just hit a wall and beginning to struggle with it as it's got all very real!
Organisation isn't a strong point apparently
It seems like this week I've just hit a wall and beginning to struggle with it as it's got all very real!
Organisation isn't a strong point apparently
littlegreenfairy said:
Dear God I can't do this.
I'm a naturally very messy but tidy person. I like organisation and knowing that everything is done - I just don't ever achieve it.
I need help! I have a diary - it's empty (I rely on my brain and it fails)
The business cards are in the bottom of my bag amongst receipts and bits of paper with notes on.
My accounts are currently non-existent as I've found a hatred of Excel and decided I'm going to do them on paper.
Please someone help me get organised
I've actually got no idea how to run a business in a streamlined way. Or any way.
Help.
Lol. What are you like? I'm a naturally very messy but tidy person. I like organisation and knowing that everything is done - I just don't ever achieve it.
I need help! I have a diary - it's empty (I rely on my brain and it fails)
The business cards are in the bottom of my bag amongst receipts and bits of paper with notes on.
My accounts are currently non-existent as I've found a hatred of Excel and decided I'm going to do them on paper.
Please someone help me get organised
I've actually got no idea how to run a business in a streamlined way. Or any way.
Help.
Me?
Well, I keep it simple.
Recipts go into monthly hanging folder files to be organised by my OH ready to be given to the accountant.
Sales receipts are hand written via carbon pad so I have a record of payment, date etc.
Diary. You might prefer paper or electronic? Don't rely on your brain...it's way too hard
Maybe a PDA or iPhone that syncs with your PC (as I do) so I run a duplicate diary. A diary and contacts on your phone alone might do it, but back up where poss!Consider a nice rigid case for your business cards?
Oh, Google calendar you might like, and it can be shared with anyone you choose that's online. https://www.google.com/accounts/ServiceLogin?servi...
Sunday nights for me is a good time to look at my week ahead.
Go to a big Staples and treat yourself to anything you feel might help you.
If you're rich employ a P.A. and go from there?
HTH,
Now get your act together for goodness sake!
Also, spend your time and effort on what you're good at, and pass to others that which you're not (and pay them for it).
Oh, are you getting enough sleep and feeling healthy?
For me if these faulter I get stressed more easily, and things can get on top of me.
I'm off to bed to organise my pillows.
Oh, are you getting enough sleep and feeling healthy?
For me if these faulter I get stressed more easily, and things can get on top of me.
I'm off to bed to organise my pillows.
nick_j007 said:
Also, spend your time and effort on what you're good at, and pass to others that which you're not (and pay them for it).
Oh, are you getting enough sleep and feeling healthy?
For me if these faulter I get stressed more easily, and things can get on top of me.
I'm off to bed to organise my pillows.
I came down with a virus 10 days ago and it's like I've lost a week of my life. I feel hideous and now it's a bit of a struggle to get through each day let alone building up a business!Oh, are you getting enough sleep and feeling healthy?
For me if these faulter I get stressed more easily, and things can get on top of me.
I'm off to bed to organise my pillows.
Tell me it's just the first few months until a routine sets in.... Yes I'm feeling very sorry for myself.
Oh and about 5 years ago I bought 1000 paperclips. Seems I'm going to crack them open in a bit.
I've started by emailing the people I needed to and filling out some forms. That's better...
And then there is the sodding business plan I was supposed to produce and my backer (aka Dad) wants to see it tomorrow. s
t. AND I've lost my costings so will have to sort that out tomorrow again.I do know my cake, but just sometimes, I feel a bit out of my depth running a business (especially as I've got a lot more work than I was expecting quite so soon!) and all the little bits I'd like to have sorted have just been pushed to the side. That and I feel like I've no experience to do it at all. Oh woe is me
I've got some mini files to just chuck invoices and stuff in, a receipt book with carbon copies so they are all in one place. I might actually sort out a ¨work bag¨ with everything I need in it.
Yeah, I need to give myself a good kicking
And to sort out a proper work space. That'll come when we finally move house - all upheaval!groomi said:
Start with a diary or calendar. Keep it updated religously and it forms not only a reminder of what you're doing, but also of what you've done, where you've been etc.
Essential when trying to remember what day that car park ticket relates to etc.
I have to admit I was using it just as a note pad for ideas and stuff. Just cracked open a new notebook so that will be the ideas one, and have now pencilled in dates for stuff and who it's regarding.Essential when trying to remember what day that car park ticket relates to etc.
Thank you
THANK YOU ALL! So who wants to hold my hand next?!
I like holding hands in this way...I'm no expert, but been dealing in businesses for about 20 yrs now.
I knew you weren't well see!
Call your dad first thing, come clean, ask for another week to get well and back in control.
Worst he can do is send you to bed early without any tea.
Pm or call me if you need a chat.
Otherwise keep it here and keep asking. We all started at the beginning once upon a time.
Again, employ others to do the rubbish stuff for you if you can. I pay over £200/annum for my accounts and what have you and this is worth it in stress reduction alone!
You'll be fine.
Nick
I knew you weren't well see!
Call your dad first thing, come clean, ask for another week to get well and back in control.
Worst he can do is send you to bed early without any tea.
Pm or call me if you need a chat.
Otherwise keep it here and keep asking. We all started at the beginning once upon a time.
Again, employ others to do the rubbish stuff for you if you can. I pay over £200/annum for my accounts and what have you and this is worth it in stress reduction alone!
You'll be fine.
Nick
I found that keeping a blank sheet of a4 on the desk and scribbling notes all over it for appointments and to-do lists throughout the day helped, but the real improvement was putting each item into a calendar program on the computer and then crossing it out with a single line (so you can still read it, just in case). Pretty soon I was religious about noting things down then properly filing and crossing every item out before the end of the day. Then you need to check you calendar every day obviously!
nick_j007 said:
I like holding hands in this way...I'm no expert, but been dealing in businesses for about 20 yrs now.
I knew you weren't well see!
Call your dad first thing, come clean, ask for another week to get well and back in control.
Worst he can do is send you to bed early without any tea.
Pm or call me if you need a chat.
Otherwise keep it here and keep asking. We all started at the beginning once upon a time.
Again, employ others to do the rubbish stuff for you if you can. I pay over £200/annum for my accounts and what have you and this is worth it in stress reduction alone!
You'll be fine.
Nick
Thanks Nick, I really appreciate it.I knew you weren't well see!
Call your dad first thing, come clean, ask for another week to get well and back in control.
Worst he can do is send you to bed early without any tea.
Pm or call me if you need a chat.
Otherwise keep it here and keep asking. We all started at the beginning once upon a time.
Again, employ others to do the rubbish stuff for you if you can. I pay over £200/annum for my accounts and what have you and this is worth it in stress reduction alone!
You'll be fine.
Nick
I have actually sorted out all the receipts and finished the book keeping a few mins ago - think I've worked out a good system for it now and it involves lots of coloured paperclips and pink files.
The diary has more stuff in it now and I can keep on top of it.
Thanks all for the suggestions - I need as much help as I can get!
The business plan is on a note pad as bullet points and key bits and all my suppliers catalogues are in one box now and tidy.
I'll get there
In the same boat as you LGF, messy but need organisation (I'm just waiting for bank details to come through as I got a loan from a bank).
I've basically gone out and bought a load of card folders and so far used them for:
- Bank details, everything I get from the bank including my loan agreement are in this one.
- Business details, business plan is in here, drafts of my marketing ideas and everything else related to the business in this one.
- Payments in, every time I get a booking I'm going to write it down and put it in here, and then add paying in stubs and the like for when I get paid, and add print-offs from Paypal when I get payments from Zazzle and other places I'm selling work on.
- Money spent, so I'm keeping receipts for everything I buy for the business and putting it in here, if the receipt is tiny I get a larger piece of notepaper, make notes about what I've bought and then paperclip the receipt to the notes.
It's possibly a little over organised but it's a system that will hopefully work well for me, I'm also utilising Excel, and I'm going to have to get an accountant because my maths is terrible and I don't trust myself to do my own taxes.
I've got a big 2010 diary that I'm writing appointments in for everything, meetings with the bank as well as bookings. And if anyone phones I'm either sitting at my desk or I run to it as I've got a big pad of paper and a bunch of pens there so I can scribble down the important points of the conversation as we're talking. At the end of the phonecall I either type it all up on to Word very quickly or if it's an appointment I write it down in the diary, I don't go back to what I was doing until I'd written it up.
My biggest problem at the moment is that I'm currently living with my parents and my sisters are on Easter holiday, it's difficult to work when "I HATE YOU SO MUCH YOU'RE A STUPID SISTER!" comes echoing up through the floorboards
If you look on the Princes Trust website it has a whole load of useful stuff in PDF format, including a guide to writing a business plan
If you've got MSN and you want someone to rant to feel free to PM me and I'll add you to mine ^_^
I've basically gone out and bought a load of card folders and so far used them for:
- Bank details, everything I get from the bank including my loan agreement are in this one.
- Business details, business plan is in here, drafts of my marketing ideas and everything else related to the business in this one.
- Payments in, every time I get a booking I'm going to write it down and put it in here, and then add paying in stubs and the like for when I get paid, and add print-offs from Paypal when I get payments from Zazzle and other places I'm selling work on.
- Money spent, so I'm keeping receipts for everything I buy for the business and putting it in here, if the receipt is tiny I get a larger piece of notepaper, make notes about what I've bought and then paperclip the receipt to the notes.
It's possibly a little over organised but it's a system that will hopefully work well for me, I'm also utilising Excel, and I'm going to have to get an accountant because my maths is terrible and I don't trust myself to do my own taxes.
I've got a big 2010 diary that I'm writing appointments in for everything, meetings with the bank as well as bookings. And if anyone phones I'm either sitting at my desk or I run to it as I've got a big pad of paper and a bunch of pens there so I can scribble down the important points of the conversation as we're talking. At the end of the phonecall I either type it all up on to Word very quickly or if it's an appointment I write it down in the diary, I don't go back to what I was doing until I'd written it up.
My biggest problem at the moment is that I'm currently living with my parents and my sisters are on Easter holiday, it's difficult to work when "I HATE YOU SO MUCH YOU'RE A STUPID SISTER!" comes echoing up through the floorboards
If you look on the Princes Trust website it has a whole load of useful stuff in PDF format, including a guide to writing a business plan
If you've got MSN and you want someone to rant to feel free to PM me and I'll add you to mine ^_^
littlegreenfairy said:
Ahh it all sounds so joyful!!
I think I might just be getting somewhere this morning, but there needs to be a fair few changes around here to get it right. Who'd have thunk it'd be so confusing
Do remember to keep it as simple as possible. Time will get it streamlined and better suited to you and your style.I think I might just be getting somewhere this morning, but there needs to be a fair few changes around here to get it right. Who'd have thunk it'd be so confusing
I started using Outlook on my PC some time ago and have come to depend on it for my main diary. Customisable to a good degree too.
Nick
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