Business housekeeping: stay occupied during lockdown

There’s no better time for business housekeeping.

Lockdown is great. It’s got half of us busy clearing our to do lists, tidying up the garden and doing general business housekeeping. It’s also got half us in bed, drinking wine, slightly incredulous at the people that have somehow found this motivation to do such things.

Regardless of which side you fall on (and we make no judgements), is business housekeeping on your to do list? Whether you want to pop it on there simply to guilt trip yourself, or you’re one of those superhumans with tonnes of energy right now, here are some pointers for business housekeeping you could be doing:

1. Tidy out your van
2. Set yourself some SMART business goals
3. Investigate technology that could help streamline your business
4. Work on your social media presence
5. Improve your website (or grab yourself a free one!)

Tidy out your van

All over the UK, stir crazed people are delving into the depths of their wardrobes to discover long lost T-shirts, jeans that no longer fit and evil snow queens offering out sugary delights. Tradespeople are undertaking similar adventures into the back of their vans, unearthing all sorts of treasures.

When we asked our followers on Twitter what had made them happy that week , Matt at Dripfix said:

Started tidying the van and the amount of stuff that I have multiples of is ridiculous .

— Matt Dripfix (@MattDripfix) April 2, 2020

Whilst James B said:

May be sad but tidying the van and labeling every shelf so who e or goes in there can find and put stuff back only took a year to get to where I wanted it — James B (@JamesB177) April 2, 2020

Once lockdown’s over (if you can imagine such a thing), a tidy van is bound to help you feel ready to take on the world again – even if it doesn’t last that long.

Set yourself some SMART business goals

‘What are SMART business goals?’, you might ask. ‘I really can’t be bothered’, you might say. But bear with us. Successful businesses have successful objectives, even if you’re a one man show. It helps to think about where you’re going. Having drive and focus can make you feel more energized and ready to take on the day.

Summarised, SMART is an acronym. The goal you set yourself should be specific, measurable, achievable, relevant and time-based. They move you from a fuzzy mindset of ‘I am going to get myself a bunch more business’ to an action plan. There’s nothing better than an action plan.

Give it a go if you have some time. Jot down each element of the acronym, then write down how you will meet it.

For instance, a SMART goal for my theoretical artisanal canine cupcake delivery service might go something along the lines of…

Specific: I am going to make two hundred deliveries every month for the next quarter to pedigree pups in the Bristol area. Measurable: I will keep a spreadsheet tracking the number of deliveries I make a month so I know if I am meeting my target. Attainable: From research I know 200 is 10% of the upper class pooches that reside in Bristol. Relevant: People are avoiding shops at the moment, so a delivery service is best for this business based on the current conditions. Time-based: I have given myself 3 months over which to achieve this goal.

Investigate technology that might help you streamline your business

There exists out there a vast array of services to help you manage your books, juggle clients, meet deadlines and generate quotes.

Using sites like YourTradeBase frees you up from the chore of paperwork and help keep you organised (and they’re doing a 45 day free trial during the coronavirus crisis).

When it comes to apps, you’ll find there’s something out there for every problem you might encounter on the job. Check out our article for apps that make your life easier as a tradesperson.

Work on your social media presence

A well established social media presence is excellent advertising for you. People like to know who’s behind the services they’re purchasing and social media makes it easy to seek you out and do exactly that. Social media also offers you a chance to demonstrate your excellent customer service skills and stay engaged with your customer based.

And as a bonus, in these strange, isolated times, working on your social media gives you a chance to have a good natter with people, all in the name of networking.

Improve your website

A well functioning, easy to find website is one of your businesses most important tools. If your website’s doing its job properly, it should essentially act as another employee.

Our top tips for making sure your website working for you are:

1. Make sure your contact information is super easy to find
2. Use cohesive colours and fonts
3. Don’t host any large image or video files on it – these slow down your loading time
4. Use keywords – think about what your customer will be googling to discover your site

If you need any advice on this, you’re always welcome to fire questions our way on Twitter