Are you someone who does an annual “spring cleaning”? The warmer weather, sunny skies, and birds chirping just really motivate me to do a deep clean on my house. I’m dusting things in my home I didn’t even remember existed. I’m organizing the closets. I’m decluttering the pantry. I’m even wiping down the walls. If you’re not someone who participates in “spring cleaning” I highly recommend it! It makes our entire family just feel better and freshens up our space..

There is also another area of your life that probably needs some “spring cleaning,” and that my friends, is your business. Whether you are a business owner or a virtual assistant, it is so easy to get into the habit of go, go, go. Especially right now. The 1st quarter is almost over, you’re about to dive into quarter two, and the demands of work can be pulling you into so many directions.

There are a few things you can do that will help set this season (and seasons to come) up for success for you and your business. I am sharing 5 ways to clean up your business that can make the world of difference! If you are a VA, bring this concept of “spring cleaning” to your client and take the reigns! This will be a blessing to them, I’m sure!

1.Organize your computer files

Whew, you guys, I really try to stay up on keeping my computer files organized. However, more times than not, I find myself spending more time than I should trying to find something. Or, I just have to go download it again because that takes less time than digging through my unorganized files. I am actually a little embarrassed even just typing this out. Yikes!
BUT, just last week, I sat aside some time after lunch, and started organizing my files. I made folders, subfolders, and deleted a lot of items I didn’t even need anymore. Yes, it took me a solid hour to go through everything, but in the long run, it is so worth it! Finding files is SO MUCH easier and faster now… I really wish I had done it sooner.

2.Sort through your inbox

Are you someone who organizes their emails, just keeps everything in their inbox, or do you have 1,463 unread emails floating around in there? I fall under the category of just keeping everything in my inbox, but I aspire to be someone who organizes them. Again, this just saves so much time! And for those of you who have hundreds or thousands of unread emails… y’all give me anxiety. I cannot handle even having one unread email showing up on my phone!

Personally, I use Gmail. Gmail offers a ton of organizing features (including their amazing Google Drive). You can tag, file, and color code your emails. The features really are so helpful if you actually utilize them.

A couple of things to note while cleaning up your inbox:
- Use the “unsubscribe” button!! If you have piles of emails from companies you never even open, it is time to take those 5 seconds it takes to unsubscribe from their list. All these emails are doing is clogging up your inbox, pushing important emails down the list, and wasting space on someone’s email list.
- Check your spam folder! There have been too many times that I have checked my spam folder and found an email that would have been great to know about 2 weeks prior. A lot of times the spam feature does it’s job, and then other times it totally lets you down. If this is happening to you, adding those email addresses to your contacts list CAN help with letting them not go to spam. It doesn’t always work, but sometimes it does. If anyone has other tips on how to not let this happen, please let me know!

3.Clean up your office

Cleaning up your virtual office is so helpful, and so is cleaning up your physical office space! Whether you work at your kitchen table right now, in a home office, or at a business, it is time to whip out the cleaning wipes and organizing files. Statistically, working in a clean space can boost morale, improve your desirability to work, and increases your productivity. Less clutter means less distractions!

4.Revisit your goals

Did you make a list of goals at the beginning of the year? How are they coming along? Now is the perfect time to dig out those goals, evaluate them, cross off the ones you can, and maybe even make some new ones! Maybe this year has already thrown you a few curveballs and you’re needing to pivot. If you have goals listed for your business that don’t make sense anymore, it is okay to throw them to the side. Replace old goals with new ones and get a fresh start!

5.Delete old files/apps off your phone

I cannot tell you how many times I have gone to take a photo or download an app, and my phone memory is full. I have to go in, delete some pictures or files to make room, and then do what I need to do. I encourage you to sit down, even for 20 minutes, and just go through your phone to begin deleting things you don’t need anymore. You could potentially clear up so much room on your phone and be more organized when you’re trying to find something!
P.S. You can also physically take the time to clean your phone-- apparently they carry a lot of germs on them (yikes), so why not take a moment and give it a good cleaning?!

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