No matter what type of business you own, you probably have a lot to manage and keep organized on a regular basis. This may include staffing, scheduling, inventory, payroll and more. If you are running a small business, like a hair salon or massage parlor, then you are probably handling most of these responsibilities yourself, which makes it especially important to stay organized so that you stay on top of things. It can make for a stressful time for you and your employees if you are not able to handle critical tasks quickly, such as paying them when expected. The following are some ways to keep your business organized.
1. Use Accounting Software
If you run a hair salon with multiple stylists, you want to make sure that they get paid when you say that you will pay them. They may charge different rates based on their experience, the services they provide and how often they work. This means that they are making different amounts of money than other stylists, so you want to keep track of that well. One of the easiest ways to do this is by using accounting software. Different softwares have different features, such as a check stub maker, so you can check out different options to see what is best for your business. Once you have selected the right software for you, you can feel peace of mind knowing that your accounting is in check.
2. Make a Master Schedule
It is important for you to have a master schedule to stay organized. This includes indicating when your employees are working, when they need days off, when certain bills are due and when you have to order certain materials. This may be essential oils or lotion if you provide massages. You should also schedule when you do maintenance, cleaning or laundry. A master schedule should also include when you provide your paychecks. Some people prefer to use paper and pen calendars and planners, whereas others love their digital calendars. There are pros and cons to both, but it can be helpful to try out a few options until you decide what is best for you. One of the conveniences of using digital calendars is that they may be easier to access, you can set alerts to remind you to complete certain tasks at certain times and you can share some parts of the calendar with others. For example, you can create the appointment schedule and share it with your employees but keep the inventory ordering calendar private if it is something that employees do not need to see.
3. Plan Your Social Media
Having a social media presence is important for nearly all businesses; many customers will seek out social media to decide where they want to get their hair cut or where they can get their eyebrows waxed. They may also look at businesses’ accounts to see before and afters of different services, like eyebrow waxing. Having a strong social media presence can bring your business a lot of customers, but doing so can be time-consuming and difficult. In order to save time, plan out your social media posts on a weekly or monthly basis. This includes when you are going to post certain things, who is going to post what, and what the content of the post will be. If you have a set plan it will make it easier to run your social media and increase engagement regularly.
4. Manage Your Passwords
You probably have a lot of different accounts set up for your business, such as your accounting software, your social media accounts, your digital calendar and more. You want to have strong passwords to reduce your risk of getting hacked, but you have a hard time remembering all of your different passwords. You can mitigate this by using a master password app. There are a number of free and premium services available, which are secure and useful. You no longer have to worry about getting locked out of different accounts or being hacked.
