There are times that the work can feel overwhelming, which is why it’s so important to have an effective system set up to manage everything simultaneously.
Hello February! It has been a solid start to the new year, albeit a busy one. While owning a business comes with a lot of positives, there are times that the work can feel overwhelming, which is why it’s so important to have an effective system set up to manage everything simultaneously.
Currently, I have 14 projects underway, at various stages of completion. Some are at the finish line while others have just begun. I check in on these projects daily, so I have had to figure out an efficient way to do this.
There are two main modes of communication that I have found vital to staying up to date on the day-to-day aspects of your business: internal and external communication. The external communication of my business revolves around the emails, phone calls and updates that I exchange with my clients. Client communication is so important to keeping all parties involved on the same page, while working towards a singular goal at the same time. Prior to taking on a client, I have them fill out a questionnaire that allows them to illustrate their vision for their website. I refer to this constantly throughout the process and check-in with the client as the website develops to see if it is meeting the clients’ standards. This allows me to keep the clients informed while also getting feedback at a constant rate.
Communicating with my clients is crucial to managing each my projects, but there still needs to be a system in place to utilize any new information. That’s where my internal communication comes in. As it stands, I have a team of five web developers (who handle the construction of the websites), a marketing/project coordinator, a content writer and a social media creator. I have been using the Asana platform to communicate with my team to allow for frequent communication while also outlining the tasks for each team member. My team and I relay information daily and there is a strong understanding on what tasks need to be completed.
In terms of personal strategies I have to stay organized with my projects, there are a couple of things I like to do. I have an excel spreadsheet (which was previously a whiteboard) that outlines all my current projects and what stage of development they’re in. This is an easy way to prioritize work and show who is handling each website. I also use Calendly to book zoom calls with my clients should they have any questions about their site. Instead of back-and-forth emails, the client can choose an available time to talk, and I will get an immediate notification for the appointment. Little things like this make my work much more manageable.
Like many businesses, there are times when all the different things you must do each day may feel like a staggering amount of work. If you can incorporate strategies that help you manage your workload efficiently, it will go a long way in organizing your daily activities in a way that allows everything to be done on time.
