1. Pick one thing you want to clean up this month.
2. Post what you’re going to do – here or on your own blog.
3. Then check in at the end of April and share how you did.

Here are some of the people who took the challenge:

Alyson at Art Biz Coach had a decluttering goal…
Kristen of BizChicksRule had an affectionately-named Box of Doom
Barbara had 3 closets to do (after completing her kitchen)
April was actually going to get rid of her desk!
Ann started out with the intention of doing her sock drawer and then got courageous and aimed for the toiletries cabinets (wait til you see her photos!)

I took my own challenge, so here is my update:

My goal was to enter all of my receipts and get my finances back into order. Right now, the receipts are still on my desk, only slightly neater. This is hard to admit since I’m writing an organizing blog, but honesty and transparency are important to me.

I am so behind in entering receipts and income that I have checks to deposit that I’m not sure how to enter. Sounds crazy, but it’s true. If I were being my perfectionistic self, I’d give myself 30 lashes with my “get organized” noodle and a major guilt trip.

But even though there are no visual changes in my office and things are slightly worse than they were, I’ve gained a number of valuable insights about my internal process.

• I need a bookkeeper – someone to come in monthly and get this stuff arranged.
• I’ve been taking on too much lately, saying “yes” when a “no” is more appropriate.
• I’m taking steps to lighten my load so that I can attend to the maintenance operations of my business, not just the creative stuff.

I feel good about these discoveries and my next step is to solicit bookkeeper recommendations from my local business buddies. I’m also not going to beat myself up about still having the receipts (this is definitely progress). By the beginning of June, my goal is to have a new system in place and a firm grasp on my financial records.

How about you? Did you meet your spring cleaning goal? Exceed it? Let’s hear all about it!

Post from: My Organized Biz

In it, you’ll find my article about Mark Silver’s Kitchen Table Financial Summit, some practical ideas you can use, and some other fun stuff.

Take 10 minutes and give it a whirl – it could help your business weather this storm.

Post from: My Organized Biz

Myself, I alternate between putting my nose to the grindstone and breaking out in a cold sweat. As a small business owner, I wonder how I’m going to keep afloat.

The good news is that no amount of worry will to change the way things are going. So what’s a savvy, organized business owner to do?

Have a kitchen table financial summit.

My buddy, Mark Silver introduced me to this concept and it has proved to be a life- and sanity-saver. Not to mention a really cool way to stay financially organized.

The basic idea is to develop a regular and sane relationship with your money and finances. So often we run from money issues, and this allows you to face them squarely and gently.

What do you do in a kitchen table financial summit?

For one, make the time for it. Put a kettle for tea and begin to treat your money like you would a good friend. Mark recommends doing it for an hour on a weekly basis. Time invested will pay off.

Once you’ve set aside the time, you develop a spreadsheet. It can be high tech or low tech. Personally, I like scratching it out on paper because the physicality is grounding for me and I can see everything without scrolling. Use what feels comfortable to you.

Enter any upcoming expenses and the dates they’re due. And then enter income you’re expecting. If you’ve been doing it for a while, cross off anything you’ve paid already.

How to beat the recession

A weekly Financial Summit can recession-proof your business because it helps you analyze where your money is going in a non-judgemental way. Over time, you may be able to cut back on certain expenses, pay off debts, and build savings – just by paying more loving attention to your money.

Sound wild? It’s awesome. And if you want to get a complete description of Mark’s Kitchen Table Financial Summit process (as well as a sample pdf spreadsheet) visit his website.

Is your head in the sand? Are you nervous about the recession? What are you doing to stay on top of your financial situation?

Post from: My Organized Biz

Do you ever have those head-scratcher moments when you’re trying to remember which records you’re supposed to keep and for how long? I do! Gah! What’s a busy entrepreneur to do?

Well, check out this post of Ren’s – the first in a series – about financial recordkeeping. In Ren’s accountant style, he’ll give you details that are clear, non-nonsense, and easy to implement. Thank goodness!

Post from: My Organized Biz