Business Organizing - Paperwork, Schedules and Client Satisfaction

Small businesses are crucial to the economy and we like to use and support small local businesses as much as we can. And for the most part we always get better and more personalized service when working with a local business.

But sometimes we are disappointed because the business "forgets" to return our calls or "forgets" to come out and provide the service we requested on the day they arranged to come out. Most often the business will apologize and they will come up with some excuse. The problem is that the excuse shows how unprofessional they are and how unorganized they are.

Having run a number of small businesses my first priority was always to create the feeling of a bigger company. At least in the eyes of the client. Some clients don't trust that a person that runs a business out of an office in their home will be "professional" or "experienced" enough for them. One has nothing to do with the other. Today many businesses are run out of home offices to save money and for convenience and life style choices. As a business consultant and professional organizer I work at my clients home or office - so I don't need to rent an office space to look "professional".

One of the first accounting firms that I did business with had their office in the basement of their home. Once  you got into their basement office you would have thought that you were in a high class accounting firm. The office had the highest quality equipment and beautiful furniture. they saved money by not pay thousands of dollars a month in rent and therefore passed that on to their clients.

Having professional looking forms and invoices that can capture client information is crucial. Not only does it present a professional image but it also allows you to capture the needed information without forgetting anything. Even if you are a roofer or plumber you need to present a professional image when it comes to paperwork.

Writing quotes down on a scrap of paper does not present a professional image and chances are that you will lose that scrap of paper. It's happened to me and I knew it the moment he started writing my information down on a ripped piece of scrap paper. I lost all confidence in the vendor at that time.

Which is what happened to one of the plumbers we tried to do business with. He lost the order...somewhere..... He couldn't find our contact information and didn't call us.

Having a filing system and logging phone messages and client schedules is crucial to a small business. Being organized in a small business is even more important than in a larger company because the smaller business depends on client referrals more than a larger company that has a big advertising budget.

By having systems in place to capture client information and having a process in place to follow-up on that information will save you time and your clients will be happier when they get the service they need on the day they need it.

Being organized in business is crucial. Start today. Step back and take a look at your business and see how you can improve and make your clients happier. You won't be disappointed in the end result.

Organizational Consulting Services

www.organizationalconsultingservices.com

Business Image – First Impressions Do Matter

First impressions. They can make or break you.

Most people know that they are judged by the way they look ….fair or not. But in business it’s even more important to have the “right” image. The first thing that people see when they walk in the door of your business ….is …. what ?

* A cluttered desk ?
* A mile high stack of papers in your “inbox” ?
* Files hanging out of file cabinets ?
* Water stains down the length of the wall of your office ?
* A stained and torn up carpet ?
* A disheveled receptionist that is chomping on her gum ?
* A receptionist that “ignores” you when you come into the office ?

What about when a client calls you ? Do you answer the phone by the 2nd or 3rd ring ?
Do you answer it in a calm and professional manner ?
Do you put people on “hold” forever and forget about them ?

When people are waiting in your waiting room…..does your staff act in a professional manner ?
Do they talk about their personal life or how they were “hung over” from partying last night ?

What do your promotional materials and business cards look like ?
Do they portray the image you really want ?

Image is important. A clean and organized office says “I am professional and I deserve your business”.

A messy, cluttered, smelly office with stains on the walls and carpets says “I don’t care what you think and I’ll get around to you when I feel like it”.

Would you want a doctor to perform a procedure on you in an office that has “dust bunnies” and has his instruments just laying on a table and not looking sterilized ? I wouldn’t.

Would you close a Ten (10) Million Dollar business deal with a man whose office is filthy and run down ? Not a chance. Which is probably why that deal fell through.

Yes, both of those scenarios happened to people I know.

Image is important. It projects confidence and capability.

A clean and organized office ….and staff…. is your first step to success.


Organizational Consulting Services

http://www.organizationalconsultingservices.com/