Declutter your business using Marie Kondo’s organization system

If you’ve ever cleaned out your closet and felt the satisfaction that comes with purging and reorganizing, then you understand why organizing guru Marie Kondo’s system has become so wildly popular. She helps people eliminate the unnecessary to create a more streamlined, stress-free, and productive living environment.

According to Feng shui philosophy, decluttering can increase the chi (life energy) of your space and invite change into your life. Clutter stops that energy flow and creates stagnation. Now, imagine what decluttering could do for your business.

Ridding clutter from our business lives goes beyond the piles of stuff on our desks—we also need to address the bad habits, toxic relationships, redundant practices, etc. A recent Forbes article by Gregg Schwartz offers five great tips for decluttering your business. Below is a summary:

1. Declutter your client list. Not every customer is right for you. For those clients that take up too much time and energy for too little reward, consider cutting ties and focusing your energy on deepening relationships with your best clients.

2. Tidy up your sales process. Are your brochures outdated? Satisfied with your CRM? Is there a part of your sales process that feels clunky or outdated? Identify ways to update.

Schwartz’s advice: “Go back to first principles: If you had to design your sales funnel today for the first time, what would it look like? How long has it been since you updated your sales call scripts, company mission statement, or elevator pitch? Take a fresh look at your entire sales process and adjust as needed.

3. Achieve clarity on big-picture goals. After you tidy up your processes (above) do some big-picture strategizing. With less clutter crowding your day, you should have a clearer vision about what you really want for your business’s future.   

4. Practice gratitude. As part of the decluttering process, Kondo teaches clients to say “thanks” to every discarded item, because even if you no longer want the item, it still served you well and deserves gratitude.

Whether you’re cutting ties with a client who is no longer a good fit or tossing an outdated brochure, be grateful for what you’ve discarded and be thankful for any new opportunities. “No matter where you are on your business journey, gratitude can help you stay focused and stay energized through the ups and downs of running your company.”

5. Find joy in your business. The sheer volume of communications and decisions and strategic options in front of us each day can be overwhelming. By embracing an attitude of minimalism and getting the most enjoyment out of every client relationship and facet of your business, you can create a simpler, better-performing business that will hopefully “spark joy” and generate big profits.

To read the article in its entirely, follow this link: https://www.forbes.com/sites/allbusiness/2019/02/23/marie-kondo-decluttering-principles-improve-small-business/#46a665004ae6

The article helped me to center my thinking and put some goals and timelines in place to declutter my everyday practices. Are you in? Join the discussion on Facebook.

Good luck!
Tim Connor