10 things to do each month for your small business
Running a small business is a huge job! We tend to have big goals and limited resources so it can be very tricky trying to stay on top of everything while also making sure business is growing steadily. Here are 10 things to do at the start of each month to keep your business functioning smoothly.
Clear your desk and tidy your office
At the start of each month make it a habit to file away papers you don’t need right away, take any dishes to the kitchen, give the desk a dust, and start the month with a clear desk and a fresh perspective. Clearing clutter can really help you feel less overwhelmed and able to tackle what the month will throw at you.
Clear your emails
Read an email and then marked it as unread? Now’s the time to get back to those emails and write up some action points for the month. Try start the month with a clear inbox. There’s nothing worse than panicking about having 863 unread emails in your inbox.
Gather your social media stats
Take some time to gather insights into how your social media content performed last month. You’ll see what types of posts got good engagement and what posts didn’t. Use these insights to fuel your upcoming month’s worth of content creation.
Review your website traffic
This is a good chance to see how people are getting to your website. Assess whether traffic is growing and keep an eye on those bounce rates. Check out your most popular content for the month and see if you can make a plan for this month’s content to exceed that.
Create and/or update your editorial schedule
A good way to stay in control of your content — social media, website, print, or more — is to create an editorial schedule. Make a campaign plan or a goal for the month and then create content accordingly. You could set some time aside to create your month’s worth of content, or put your ideas into a brief to give to your staff or freelance community.
Create briefs or engage your staff and freelance community
The earlier you can brief the creatives you’ll be working with during the month the better. Having a clear plan in mind is a great way to ensure the work is done quickly and exactly how you need it. It may even be a great idea to see if the people you work with have a briefing sheet or form you can fill out to ensure they have all the information they need to get started.
If you need to hand off any content work or digital editing, don’t hesitate to get in touch with me: lara@luu.co.nz
Reach out to your customers and clients
Be sure your customers and clients don’t forget about you. The start of the month is a good time to send out email updates (suitable for each audience) that give them an update about what you’re doing and how they can get involved. Communication is key!
Set up or adjust your Google Alerts
Google Alerts are a great way to make sure you’re kept up to date with all the latest news in your industry. You can choose to have articles sent to you daily, weekly, or as they occur. Choose the keywords you’re interested in hearing about and which email address to send them to and you’re away. Set up Google Alerts
Read all those saved articles
Got a few extra tabs open with articles you’ll read later? Now’s the time to absorb that knowledge and close that tab. Too many tabs can be overwhelming, if not great for your computer’s speed. Make a cup of coffee and settle in for 20 minutes of reading, then get back into your day. Knowledge is essential, so don’t think of this as wasted time. It definitely isn’t.
Check your books are up to date
Don’t leave your books until the last minute and then stress out. Take some time every month to ensure your books are up to date. Then it’s a simple process when it comes to tax time. A little bit of organisation goes a long, long way.