Top Business To-Do List
Now that we are nearing the end of the first quarter of 2017 I thought I should get this post up here... since it's been sitting as a "draft" since December 2016. I feel like I need a comprehensive list before publishing it but the matter of the fact is, I won't get everything, but here are some major items that have helped my keep my business in line. What have I missed that you do daily, weekly, monthly, quarterly, or yearly? Share them in the comments and we'll be sure to add it to this post!
There are many things to do when running your own business. Thinking about all the big and little things needing to be done can be quite overwhelming. Some things need to be done daily, some weekly and others are monthly, quarterly and yearly. Trying to do all the things at once is like trying to eat a whole cake in one sitting. It will be so much more enjoyable if you take it one bite at a time.
Daily: Answer customer inquiries.
Answer them as quickly as possible. Do you have set hours you sit down to respond or are you checking your emails constantly? Whatever your practices may be answering emails should be on the top of your business daily to-do list.
Fill and ship orders - depending on how often you receive orders this could be bumped to weekly if you only receive a few orders a week. If you receive several orders daily you will want to fill them 3-4 days a week to keep up on them, and to keep customers happy with quick turn-around. Whatever your shipping times are be sure your customers know what to expect, which means you need to be consistent.
Weekly: Follow up with customers
Sometimes there are customer having issues with delayed package delivery and such that may need checking up on. Keep a running list of customers that need a follow-up. They will be impressed and likely to shop with you again!
Monthly: Evaluate Stock/Manage and set budgets
Evaluate stock counts. What is running low that needs to be reordered and restocked? People like knowing you'll have items on hand when they need them. If you're out, they will likely look somewhere else.
Evaluate budget. How you work your budget it very personal, but you need to have one for your business. Otherwise you may spend yourself OUT of business. Are the items you sell affected by seasons or holidays? Do you need to start carrying items for any upcoming seasons/holidays? Being on top of this helps when you need to plan marketing for upcoming items or promotional sales.
Quarterly: Tax information/Evaluate Stock
Whether you are doing your taxes yourself or having them done professionally, keeping tabs on your taxes quarterly can help avoid any year-end tax headache. Be sure you are setting aside money to cover any tax expense so you are not "blindsided" at the end of the year.
Depending on your turn around time for items in your store restocking may be a quarterly calendar item.
Yearly: Clear out unsold items
Do you have items that have been collecting dust in your shop or simply haven't been selling well? Hold a clearance if needed to get rid of items taking up space in your stock room.
Don't wait until the last minute to figure out your tax dues and obligations. Know what information you'll need at years end and review it each quarter to make the year-end tax meeting a big less stressful. You'll thank yourself if you've been setting money aside for any taxes due as well.
What is on your top business to-do list? Comment below and tell us how you keep yourself organized!