Entrepreneurs are dreamers. Scrappy believers who will do whatever it takes to achieve their goals, business owners have to operate with a degree of passion that other employees do not. After all, if an entrepreneur hopes to be profitable, their excitement for their business must be contagious. It’s how businesses appeal to investors, to their employees and their customers.
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Unfortunately, though, the reality of running a business isn’t about glory. In most cases, business owners are tied up in the daily operations of running their company. For every achievement under their belt, entrepreneurs have dozens of menial, frustrating or downright boring moments. It’s a trade-off. After all, Rome wasn’t built in a day and neither was the average company.
Still, it’s possible to lose excitement for your business. Long hours, financial setbacks and boring administrative tasks can take the wind out of your sails. That’s where Marie Kondo’s revolutionary book “The Life-Changing Magic of Tidying Up: The Japanese Art of Decluttering and Organizing” comes into play. You may have read her book or seen her Netflix show recently, as it has made headlines the world over. Her KonMari method has inspired folks to organize their lives from the ground up.
Kondo’s philosophy is not merely about tossing out unused clothing, knick-knacks, and books. Instead, she asks people to reflect on whether an item sparks joy for them. This same philosophy can be applied to the work we do professionally. Take time to consider ways in which your business sparks joy – whatever that means to you. Here are a few more tips to employ the KonMari method for your business:
Eliminate Professional Clutter
Sure, your office supply cabinet might need organizing, but we’re not talking about tossing out dried up markers. Instead, eliminate clutter that negatively impacts your professional life. For example, consider the way you keep records of your business transactions. Are they scattered across folders on your desktop, or are you keeping paper copies of receipts? Chances are good, your financials could do for a cleanup.
Maybe your documents are in order and you instead need to clear out the physical and digital manifestations of old clients. Outdated proposals, email threads and call logs should be combed through and organized. No matter how meticulous you are with your record-keeping, odds are good that you’re holding onto some form of professional clutter.
Revamp Your Website
Whether you’re a Fortune 500 company or a mom-and-pop storefront, websites must be kept up to date. It’s easier, of course, when you have a marketing department to handle such things. Regardless of the size of your company, your website could likely use a little KonMari method. Begin with Marie Kondo’s famous question: does your site spark joy?
If the answer is no, take some time to consider why that is. In some cases, your site may simply need to be updated with a new logo or fun animation. In others, though, an entire revamp may be required. A website should be as visually pleasing as it is informative. Above all else, your site should be useful. Take the time to clean up your page, eliminating unnecessary details and digital clutter. Instead of relying on filler, cut to the core of why folks should use your goods and services. Not only is this KonMari method approved, but it’ll also help your website bring in more traffic and convert more site visitors into customers.
Tidy Up Your Workflow
Improve the way you make sales by using Marie Kondo’s tips for tidying. In some episodes of her Netflix show, Kondo asks homeowners to consider the ways they would change their spaces if they could start completely fresh. Apply the same question to the way you approach prospective clients. When you do things the way you’ve always done, it can be hard to see the forest through the trees. When you reconsider why you’ve used your policies, you may be able to elevate your process.
Go through your marketing material, sales call scripts, mission statement, and elevator pitch to reconsider how your words come across. At face value, are they representative of your current business philosophy? Are they effective? Do they spark joy? The answers can guide you to tidying up the way your sales funnel functions.
Make Room for Joy
Busy entrepreneurs wear many hats. Some are fun, allowing business owners to flex their creative muscles in advertising, design and leading their team. Others, however, are less exciting. The administrative duties associated with entrepreneurship can leave even the most passionate business owner feeling stressed, overwhelmed and tired. Even the act of picking up the phone each time it rings can become a chore or is, at the very least, a disruption to your productivity.
Consider which parts of your role do not spark joy. Then consider ways in which you could change that task. For example, outsourcing phone calls to a third-party answering service would make room for the tasks you really enjoy. While some entrepreneurs are hesitant to relinquish control over any aspect of their company, delegation is crucial for success. No one can do it all themselves, and handing out assignments to employees and contractors can help ease the burden of joyless tasks.
No matter how you interpret Marie Kondo’s philosophies about clutter, there is value in reflection. The KonMari method doesn’t require you to make significant changes, only to be honest about what things deserve a continued role in your life – that’s what makes the idea so popular. By taking time to reevaluate what is working and what is not, your home and your business can operate more joyfully.
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