Your service-based business doesn't need to be more organized

Your business doesn't need to be organized.

That feels weird to say, doesn't it?

If you've been in business for a while and things feel messy, organization might not be the thing you need to focus on first.

(Hint, it's the foundation of your business that probably needs a little bit of work first.)

While organizing things might feel helpful and productive, let's make sure it's the best use of your time right now.

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Why an organized business doesn't matter as much as you think

When your business is feeling messy and like you're having trouble staying on top of things, one of the first things that I see people do or think that they need to do is to work on organization.

It feels like you would be able to just stay on top of everything if it was tidy and organized, right?

You're not wrong.

But organization may not actually be the right starting point for you right now.

Organizing can often be a distraction or a time suck that's keeping you away from other things.

If you're spending time:

• organizing files

• tidying up your CRM platform

• cleaning out your email inbox

• rearranging to do items in Asana or ClickUp

• putting things in folders, archiving, or deleting things you don't need anymore

All of that feels like you are being productive. Which you are.

However, if those things are not a major block for you right now, that's not your most important area to focus on.

How to know if organizing is worth focusing on

Here's what I mean by this.

Let's you're having trouble getting work done on a client project because every time you open your email inbox, you get overwhelmed.

You're not able to answer emails related to that project.

You struggle to check in on messages from other people telling you what your action items are.

That's a problem that is now affecting a revenue-related project, and you'd probably want to focus on your inbox first in that case.

But if your Asana platform or your email inbox or your CRM platform being a mess is not the thing that is keeping you from moving forward in other areas, that's not your most important thing to focus on right now.

I see a lot of business owners who want to focus on organization first, but when I probe a little deeper I often find they're using that as a way to avoid doing work that feels harder to them.

They struggle to do deeper, more structural work.

How to dig deeper into your business' foundation

When you focus on organizing the surface level of your business without fixing the underlying structure or foundation problems that you might have, you're now optimizing a shaky foundation.

For example, it may not make sense for you to spend a bunch of time in your project management platform, like Asana or ClickUp, if you don't already have a framework for the way that you do things.

If you do more project-based services then you would have a set way that you deliver that specific project every time.

Or maybe you're doing a different type of service, whether it's short-term (like a coaching program) or something more long-term (like a monthly retainer.)

In all of these cases, there should be a set way that you deliver that service.

There should be set processes for:

• onboarding people

• what you need to do during service delivery

• what the client needs to do (give input, materials, or participate in some way)

Every service should have set steps that happen every time.

So if you haven't sat down and figured out what that process looks like yet, there's no point in organizing your to-do list related to that service, because you don't have the clarity to organize it yet.

Pushing things around in your project management platform right now isn't going to have the effect you're hoping for.

A better way to approach organization in your business

If you've been wanting to organize something in your business, from files to your old Canva projects to your emails...

(or maybe you've already been spending time organizing instead of working on other things. No judgment. We've all been there.)

Then what I invite you to do before you start cleaning up something is to think about the purpose.

1. What is the purpose of this platform in your business?

2. What do you want it to be able to do for you or to help you do?

3. How do you want it to support you?

Before you dive into that organization project, you need to answer those questions.

You need to have a road map that you are following so that doing this reorganization is worth your time.

And you may find that there are things that don't need to be organized, because maybe they can just be archived or deleted.

Or you may find that you take something in a completely different direction, because what you have right now doesn't work for you.

So, if you can make those discoveries before you dive into those organization projects, you're going to save yourself a lot of time, rather than focusing on things that you end up not needing.

If you're feeling overwhelmed in your business right now.

If things feel messy.

If you've been in business for a while and you're feeling a little bit stuck and you're not sure of the best way to move forward and get moving again.

I've created something for you.

It is a self-guided workshop. It's called Unstuck in a Weekend.

It will walk you through exactly how to identify the main thing keeping you stuck right now and create an action plan to deal with it quickly and gain momentum again.

Learn more and grab your copy today!

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Do you have any questions about making your business feel easier or avoiding toxic productivity advice? Leave a comment or send a message.