While you may or may not be familiar with the S.M.A.R.T. acronym, it is one that has been presented, discussed and applied to goal setting in various aspects of business over the years. As there is some uncertainty concerning the originator of this concept, it is difficult to know exactly how and when it was first applied. In any event, regardless of when its use may have been first noted, it is a concept that we all should be aware of and apply despite the length of time that we have been business owners. In applying this concept to establishing goals for your company, you will be forced to create a very precise objective. By doing so, your approach to the tasks at hand will be much more organized which will enable you to more efficiently utilize your time.

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Since there are so many ways that technology can make our daily lives as business owners more efficient, our objective should be to identify them as quickly as possible. Whether we are talking about a piece of equipment, a software program or computer consulting services, we need to be sure to address how the integration of these products and services into our daily work routines will impact our ability to stay organized.

Here are some points to consider:

Consolidate Functions. Regardless of the amount of space that you have in your office, you probably don’t have room for a printer, scanner and fax machine in addition to your computer. You may want to consider purchasing an all-in-one machine that will provide all 3 functions and take up one third of the space. While you may or may not need the scanner and fax if you are just starting out, you will probably need at least one of them in the near future. In addition, with only one piece of equipment to connect to your computer, there is a higher probability that it can be positioned close to your desk thus increasing your productivity by eliminating the distractions that will be encountered on those frequent walks across the room to pick up the documents waiting for you on the printer.

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As soon as the initial steps are taken to get a new business established, the deluge of information will begin. Whether it is in hard copy form or electronically, chances are in your new role as a business owner you will find yourself collecting lots of potentially valuable data on all sorts of topics. From the latest, extremely user friendly software programs to a possible client lead, the information will pile up faster than you could have ever imagined. Needless to say, some of it will need to be acted on immediately, some will be held for future reference and, of course, some will be destined for the trash or shredder.

No matter how environmentally conscious we may be, there is no escaping a certain amount of paper. One decision that needs to be addressed early on is what the preferred method will be for filing information that needs to be retained. While it may be ideal to go paperless, in reality a combination of both a paper and electronic filing system may be the most practical approach.

To begin with, it is important to consider the following points prior to establishing a system for filing and retrieving hard copy documents. (more…)