If you regularly feel like you're playing the biggest game of concentration within your business then I can most probably help.

Most people like to think of themselves as being very organised but the majority of successful business owners are so busy building the empire they often fall behind in the housekeeping tasks which are necessary to keep things running smoothly. Good organisation within a business is not always represented by a tidy office or neatly aligned files (although I obviously love to see both of these things!), it is often more subtle and relates to procedure as much as the physical aspects of the office environment.

From a financial point of view there is a real need to make sure that invoices are raised at the right time (perhaps against completed jobsheets) and that they are followed-up at appropriate intervals to keep the incoming cash flowing. Business decisions are often based upon projected turnover and profit but the timing of an opportunity arising sadly seldom corresponds with the completion of the annual accounts. It is therefore imperative that an accurate snapshot of true liquidity can be made easily and quickly. A disorganised company might avoid making a quick decision as there is an element of dread associated with the gathering of the necessary information - in the meantime a potentially profitable deal might just have been missed.

Similarly, to operate efficiently the unnecessary repetition of tasks must be avoided. It is therefore essential that key information or procedures are documented in such a fashion that they can be accessed whenever they are needed. Remembering that you've already done something is useful but the frustration sets in when you can't remember the detail or where you might be able to get your hands on the original document - arghhhh!! How reassuring when you have an archived file of previous work from which you can extract a paragraph or attachment within a matter of minutes - super efficient!