Spring has arrived, the clocks have changed and we’ve just had Easter weekend. The year is nearly a third of the way through and we’re into a new tax year. A great time to begin a Spring clean at home and in your business, to be ready to move forward into the new season refreshed. 
Here are 5 ways to help you move your business forward this Spring:
Review your Goals
What were your business goals for this year? Were you on target for them at the end of the first quarter?
It’s time to re-visit your targets for this year and see what you need to do in the coming months.
There are so many regular tasks to keep your business running, that it’s sometimes difficult to put the effort required into the growth and development that could help you meet your goals.
Delegating some of those must-do jobs to a virtual assistant could help you reach your objectives.
Review your social media profiles
What is your online presence like this year? Have you changed your services in the past 6 months? Perhaps there is stale content because you haven’t had time to post since 2018?
Social media is a great way to engage with customers and get useful exposure for your brand but that doesn’t mean that your business needs to have a presence on every single platform. Find out where your customers are present and engaging – maybe this has changed since your started your business and you need to have a greater presence on a different platform.
Social media can be a time absorber – try to limit it to set times during your day and take advantage of social media scheduling tools, such as SmartQueue, Facebook Business Suite or Hootsuite.
Using a news/blog reader such as Feedly can help with sourcing fresh content. Don’t forget you can update, amend and re-use your content to save time.
Keep your financial paperwork in order.
As the new tax year gets underway, have you vowed to keep your receipts under control this year? If you tend to wait for months before updating your accounts – or stash your expense receipts in a carrier bag and only get around to processing them when doing your tax return, perhaps this is the year when you start a more effective system.
Bookkeeping is probably the most important task to stay on top of. Having up-to-date information on which invoices you have issued, which clients are yet to pay and how much you are spending is key to being able to make the right decisions for your business.
If you hate spreadsheets, try looking at cloud accounting software instead and find a specific system that’s designed for your type of business. There’s lots of choice, and the move is towards Making Tax Digital it would be good to be ahead of the game. Make sure that ‘doing the books’ becomes a regular part of your weekly business routine. Blocking out an hour a week and using it to reconcile your bank transactions, chase up invoices and log expenses will save you a lot of hassle in the long run.
Clean out your Inbox
Has your inbox been overflowing since January? Or even before then? Do you dread opening your inbox and hold onto them for too long so it adds to your to-do-list?
Now is the time to give it a clear out & set new processes to keep it under control.
Start by unsubscribing from all those distracting subscriptions and newsletters you never have time to read. Then set up filters and folders to process emails as they arrive, into ‘Read Later, Need to action, Actioned, and leave your inbox clear at the end of each day!
De-clutter and clean your office
Are you inspired to be at your best every day when you sit in your office? Having a physically tidy and orderly working space will impact on your productivity – a cluttered desk makes my head feel cluttered too.
Review your office supplies – running out of printer paper or business cards before a critical appointment, will be stress-inducing. Keep an accurate inventory of what you use, so there’s no more time wasted searching for things in cupboards or online!
Clear out cluttered drawers, over-flowing pen pots, and full hole-punchers. Look on Pinterest for office spaces and see how you can make your office an inspiring place to work that motivates you every day. I have a favourite family photo and a lovely mood-lifting scented candle on my desk. Find an inspirational quote to frame and treat yourself to some new folders to keep paperwork in order.
Spring is a time for nature and nurture – use this time to care for your client relationships or connect with potential clients.
If you want to find out how a virtual assistant can help you spring forward and provide help & support get in touch today, I’d love to see how I could help.