Creatives, this blog post is for YOU… And we’re talking all about how you can spring clean your small business!

In this season as small business owners and creatives alike, we’re all navigating untraveled paths and taking it day by day. Maybe you’re facing closures, cancellations, or reschedules on your calendar – I feel for you in this season! Or maybe you’re finding yourself with a little more time on your hands. Good news! It’s the perfect time to spring clean your small business!

And friend, I can’t help but share that while I know it’s easy to fill our to-do lists right now, I fully believe in embracing seasons and resting when we feel called to do so, too. Personally, in this season, I’m embracing this time of rest AND knocking out some spring cleaning projects in my business because I have the time to do just that. It’s all in finding your groove and what works for you!

So, if you’re like me and want to knock out some to-dos between getting a little rest, you’re going to love these spring cleaning ideas!

Update Your Website

Oh yes, that website of yours is the perfect place to start! Oftentimes as creatives, we find ourselves in love with our websites after a rebrand or website redesign… Then, we get into a routine and life gets nutty and we forget to keep our websites fresh. This spring, I challenge you to hop into the backend of your website and make some updates! Whether you’re updating photos or copy, these updates are totally worth it. Our work grows and evolves year after year as creative small business owners, so our websites need to reflect that, too!

One of my favorite tips when it comes to website updates? Keep a folder on your desktop for your “2020 Favorite Work” and drop files and images into the folder throughout the year. Gathering your favorite work as you create it is a LIFESAVER, I promise. Then, when winter and springtime hit, you can easily jump into that folder and update your website!

Organize Your Inbox

If you know me, you know that organization makes my heart happy. Type A much? I love organization from folders to labels to color-coding… So, it should come as no surprise that I’m recommending you organize that inbox of yours!

Take some time to sort through your inbox. Unsubscribe from email lists that are no longer serving you. Create labels for clients, projects, collaborations. Sort emails into folders for business orders and receipts, inquiries by type, educational resources, and more. Update your email signature. And hey, if you’re really feeling motivated once you dive into your inbox – add your own email templates to your inbox (hey Gmail users), too!

Revisit Your Expenses

This is one of my favorite spring cleaning to-do’s in my business!

Okay, I get it – bookkeeping is not fun for [most] creatives. It’s one of those crucial tasks that many don’t enjoy in their small businesses, but we all know that up-to-date bookkeeping helps our businesses grow and thrive! So, on that note, open up your spreadsheets or Quickbooks and take a look at your expenses. When I sit down to revisit my expenses, I like to look back at my expenses from the last year overall AND on a month by month or quarterly basis. This helps me see what was going out of my business account throughout the year, and then I can decide if there are any unnecessary expenses. Keep in mind that sometimes you’ll find unnecessary expenses and subscriptions during this task… And that’s okay! I would bet that most (if not all) creative small business owners have at least one expense that isn’t necessary and could save the business money in the long run.

Update Your Printed Materials

Printed materials are one of my favorite parts of my brand and client experience. But that isn’t to say that they never need updating! Carve out some time to open up the various printed materials in your business and see if any updates need to be made. When the busier months hit, you’ll be glad you did this now as you spring clean your small business!

Sort Virtual Files

Remember how I said I love organization? Well, here’s another idea for organizing your business! When it comes to your virtual files – whether you’re using folders on your computer, Google Drive, or a service like Dropbox – they need to be organized. Think of the time you may be wasting because you can’t find files or don’t remember where you saved something. Do you feel me?

In this spring cleaning season, I encourage you to set aside some time to sort your virtual files and create a better system for organizing those files in your business. The icing on the cake? Sorting your virtual files now also makes cloud backup (and data retrieval later) so much easier, too!

Clean Your Office

This idea may seem like a no brainer, but really, clean your office! If you have a home office like me, sometimes things get out of place and simply need organized. So, go through your office and reorganize. For example, this spring I reorganized my office, made a donate pile of books that I will share or swap with others, and simply decluttered my desk workspace, too. It felt SO GOOD!

And while you’re cleaning out your office, dive into your filing cabinet, too! Organize receipts, any printed contracts, insurance policies, client docs – if it’s in your filing cabinet, organize it! This is also the perfect time to make sure that you have photos of all your business receipts – added to a folder or uploaded to Quickbooks – as well.

Review Your Goals

And finally, review your goals! Spring cleaning your small business doesn’t have to be all about “cleaning”… Remember those goals you were eager to set at the start of the new year? Well, friend, there is no better time than the present to review those goals and make any needed adjustments so that you can keep growing in your life and business.

To all the creatives, I pray that you will embrace this season, spring clean your small business, and rest a little in between! Virtual hugs!

P.S. – Wanna learn more about one-on-one business mentoring? It’s the icing on the cake where I help you navigate your biz so that you can live your life!