Spring has sprung! Now that we’ve passed the official first day of spring (March 20 this year), minds are turning towards opening windows, airing out houses, and scrubbing floors. After the stuffy suffocation of winter, many people look forward to spring cleaning as a way to bring fresh air and sunshine back into their lives.
But spring cleaning doesn’t have to be restricted to the home. When is the last time you conducted a thorough spring cleaning of your business? A fresh start and some new ideas could be just the thing to spring into a new season of growth for your bottom line. Business and lifestyle blogs have tons of advice on the matter; here, we’ve culled some of the most relevant for quick and easy tips to follow to make your sales shine like new!
1) Unsubscribe!
The Huffington Post made a point last year to include this gem from Pratham Mittal of Outgrow Marketing. “Now is the time,” Mittal wrote, “to unfollow all accounts that aren’t providing any value.” A deep clean of your business account can do wonders. Are there automated emails that you’ve signed up for that you delete without opening more than three times in a row? Open the next one you receive and unsubscribe! Lowering the number of unread emails in your inbox when you open it each day will lower your stress level too.
2) Reach out!
After a winter of social hibernation, spring is an ideal time to refresh relationships across the board. You can reconnect with employees and co-workers by getting everyone out of the office for a picnic or pick-up softball game. The break in the work day will make everyone more productive, and the fresh air will rejuvenate individuals as well as teams. You can reach out to colleagues by setting up a coffee date or networking opportunity. And if you work directly with customers, you can keep those relationships fresh through Xero accounting software’s advice in MindBodyOnline: “jump into spring with an event,” to connect everyone with each other and with you.
3) Sharpen your tools!
You wouldn’t start home repairs with a rusty handsaw, or dive into a sewing project with dull scissors, would you? The key to a great business spring cleaning is to make sure your professional tools are sharp! Keep up to date on industry trends through your favorite blogs and publications. And sharpen your staff by ensuring that they’re up-to-date on their business education as well. When everyone’s at the top of their game, the work is a breeze.
4) Analyze your time!
The Young Entrepreneur Council offered advice from several of its members for Forbes’ article last year. Krish Chopra, of United Medical Rotations, thinks it’s crucial to “Find Out Where Your Time Is Being Spent.” He splits his measurements into time spent in the business and time spent on the business, and he recommends physically mapping out your workflow to see where the time is slipping away. Chopra’s tough-to-hear conclusion is that the biggest time sink is bad clients; his own spring cleaning goals included taking a hard look at who might be taking more time than the business they bring in is worth.
5) Brainstorm!
The Conversational Receptionists website has a strong suggestion on what to do with that time once you’ve figured out where to find it: “Take some time to brainstorm.” Your experience and your creativity are your best assets. Don’t let yourself get stuck in a rut. Take some downtime—a long walk or drive would be perfect in the spring weather!—and let your mind wander. A rested, unfocused mind is best suited to the task of coming up with new ideas. Whether it’s as simple as deciding on a new font on your website or as complex as a pitch for a whole new campaign for your biggest client, any time you dedicate to exercising your creative mind will be time well spent.
What spring cleaning tools have worked for your business in the past? Do you have any tried-and-true tricks outside the scope of this list? What is one hurdle you just can’t leap despite all of the advice you’ve integrated? Share your success stories and frustrations in the comments!
© 2018 Molly Beavers, CAS - Bankers Advertising