Staying organised in work and life can be difficult…it just doesn’t come naturally to some people. I’m one of those people, maybe you are to it’s frustrating because you just can’t remember lots of things at once it’s not like your trying to be forgetful. My dad use to call from London to tell us what time train he would be on, so we would know what time to pick him up at the other end. And sometimes I would have already forgotten what time he’d just said as I was putting down the phone…it would drive my mother crazy.
But what if I told you that I use to be this scatter brain, I still occasional things like we all do. But I’ve implement tools in my work life so I never drop the ball. Why not listen to this episode feel motivated by learning the three organisational tools that has transformed the way I work. Stay on track with current clients and project as well as keep up to date with new leads. As well as work away at the big goals you set back at the start of the year. Plus never forget an content idea that randomly pops up at your desk! These tools might even help you in daily life.. imagine never run out of dry shampoo again…we’ve all been there!
Audio Time Stamp | 01:19
Organisationals Tools 1 | Notion To Stay On Track
Big Goal Tracking
I use notion every work day for my daily to do’s, I owe this project management and awesome note-taking tool so much credit for to my organisation success. I used other tools like asana and Trello, and I’m not saying there bad if they work for you stick with, it’s just they never work for me. What’s different about notion is that you can create pages, within these page you can add different features like, calendars, tables, boards and a gallery. It’s so flexible, you have to really start using to really see it’s potential.
I use notion to tick of and keep track on my bigger tasks not every little step. By using a simple board table, like in Asana that allows me to move tasks or project into different column such as to do’s, doing and done. I can also view these same exact tasks in a table view, calendar or timeline format. But I usually keep my task list pretty simple to not overwhelm and limit the amount of tasks I include.
Content Creation + Calendar
I use notion as a organisational tools for my Content Calendar. Funnily enough I wrote this episode using notion. My content calendar is actually a page with tables, each table is a specific month. Within that table I can add new pages for each script, email drafts or Instagram post and specify each page/ content a date for it to go live. With tables you can even create your own page templates. So for example my podcast episodes all run off the same formatting the 5 paragraph essay format, intro, 3 points and conclusion. So I have a podcast script template, that includes, things to remember prompts, previous examples. So as I’m writing I have everything I need.
Goals Tracking
I also create separate pages for each of my biggest goals that I want to achieve. I can easily access and refresh my memory on these goals. As well as seeing all the small steps to reach the bigger milestone to accomplish each goal. These pages will be created specific to you but by having a page with everything I need to do to achieve a goal, really pushes you stay on track and I can ticking them off one by one on a dedicated page.
Audio Time Stamp | 04:33
Organisational Tools 2 | Dubsado For a Smooth Client Process
Automation Emails
The second program I use is Dubsado, this is Client Relationship management platform best suited for you and your service based business. If you like me an email just seem to get lost or missed and trying to plan a zoom call just seem like an unbelievably long winded process then Dubsado is perfect. I like to refer to it as my second pair of hands, because I can set up so much in this program on automation.
It can be difficult to balance the clients you working with and keep track on new leads, but that is one of the area Dubsado has helped me. For example on my website I have a enquire form this is linked to the Dubsado program. This means as soon as a lead fills it out they are automatically added to the system as a lead and will receive a welcome email from me straight away, I don’t have to manual click every button.
It’s really important to response quickly to new leads, because it likely they’ve have reached out to other businesses. Let’s say you fill out 2 enquire forms for 2 businesses you’d liked to work with. You fill the form out on a Friday afternoon, you don’t hear anything from one of them until Monday morning, that fair enough. However, you do receive an email from the other, one that warmly welcomes you, provides you with helpful links to FQA page, an estimated time you’ll hear back from the owner or maybe even a calendar to book yourself onto a discovery call with them. The business that get’s clients isn’t always the best, it’s sometime the one that values customer service are great at communication.
Backend Project management
When a lead wants to become a client we have the nitty gritty process. Where proposals need to be read, contracts has to be signed and deposits should be made. This process can be long winded if we let it. I use to make my clients print and sign a contract to scan back to me. I would advice you against this, it’s just more work for them, and they’re probably already got a maxed out to-do list just like you! There is a higher risk of them not working with you.
Dubsado has a lot of organisational tools, this one program offers you everything to get a project underway. I can send in one bundle all three element, a proposal that can be edit to each specific client, once read then can then view the contract and sign it digitally. Then it will take them to the deposit for them to easily pay, just like if they were ordering a pair of shoes. This 3 in one forms is like a domino effect, it helps you clients see the exact steps to take, no confusion with individual emails requesting each of these things.
Client Portal
Last but no mean least the last thing that has helped me and my clients is the portal that they offer. Think of the portal like a membership site where the client has it’s own log in and can all the project information. This help your client see everything in one area, so the contract they signed, the payment they’ve made and how much more they’ll have to pay even questionnaire that they might need to fill out. Emails are still used in conjunction with this, I can prompt my clients through an email to fill out a form waiting in their portal. In this same email I can include a button that sends them straight to that form I need them to fill out. This not only provides them a superior type of service with you, but you can keep tab of all client project in once place!
Audio Time Stamp | 11:06
Organisational Tools 3 | Pen and Paper
I still have to have a pen and paper at my desk, I don’t think there is a quicker way to really note down a passing thought, to do or reminder. With program like notion are great! But, in my work day I’m usually using got a million and 1 webpages up and design programs on my screen, maybe you can relate? So do you really remember to keep revert back to your daily to do list tab or have the time to add things to the right pages. With pen and paper I don’t have to keep clicking out of programs to remember something. Pen and paper has never failed me because it’s simple just there whenever I need it throughout the day, I can keep in a constant working flow.
What I usually do is. by start the day off with writing out 2 or 3 to do’s for that day on my a A4 paper. This fixed piece of paper allows me to keep glancing back and for at it and add thing as and when I need. Plus let’s face it there is nothing more satisfying than tick off a to do on your list. As I mentioned I do have that task list on notion. But that list includes bigger milestones. My paper and pen is more responsible for the little steps I need to tick of that given day in order to hit those bigger milestones.
Note Taking
Throughout the day I might add things to the paper. You may have experienced a moment where you are working on something. And out of no where a random idea comes to your head, whether that for a piece of content, a client project or business idea. You just need to get it out of your head and onto paper before you forget it, the pen and paper is there for those times.
Room For Flexibility
I also use pen and paper as a organisational tools, when planning out for each podcast episode. Paper is less constricting when it come to thinking up ideas. You can brainstorm, bullet point, sketch, draw arrows to different things. It gives you freedom to display your thoughts in a flow motion rather than a formed lined structure.
You might be think, but what if you loose that piece of paper? And it’s a great question because I use to keep in a stack on my desk. But not only did that cover my desk it started to eaten into my time. I would be riffling through sheets to find a specific reminder or idea on it.
Tidying Up
So to rectify that at the end of each day I look over my paper, allocate everything written on it to a specific page already set up on notion. Therefore if i had reminders written down that I didn’t get time to tick off that day, I would add it to my reminders page in notion. I could also include calendar alerts so I didn’t have to go back to it.
Same goes for content idea I have page dedicated for all my episode ideas. This really helps when I’m orchestrating episodes for the next month on my content calendar i can refer back to it and pick a few I like off it. I also use my basic notes app on my phone if I’m away from my desk and need to note something down.
Audio Time Stamp | 14:46
Implement these Organisational Tools Today!
They you have it my three organisational tools I use to keep my squirrel like brain in check. With notion keeping all your day to day business task and goals neat and in one place. Dubsado to help you organise client projects and never miss out on a lead again. Plus how pen and paper is underrated and how to use it at it’s best! It’s now time for you to implement these methods, so you can feel organised never forget anything or miss a important task in your small business again. I touched on goals and milestone in this episode if you’re unsure how to organise and achieve your big goals in business I explain all this in episode 18 on The BrandMade Podcast, and get planning and tracking.