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Apr 22
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7 Ways Digital Minimalism Will Improve Your Life

By Blog, Business Organizing, Digital Minimalism No Comments

Here are 7 ways digital minimalism will improve your life if you’re striving for greater efficiency in your business operations this year!

 

As an entrepreneur, business owner, or freelancer, you likely rely on many apps and tools to run your business efficiently. However, we also know that navigating through digital clutter and distractions severely impacts productivity and time freedom.

 

Enter digital minimalism – a philosophy focused on eliminating distractions.

 

With less abundant clutter and system inefficiencies, this opens space to create more time freedom, and mental clarity.

 

In this blog post, I’ll share why I’ve been embracing digital minimalism as a business owner with 7 ways digital minimalism will improve your life. I’m also going to share my own frameworks to help you declutter your digital life and streamline your business!

Why Digital Minimalism Matters

 

As someone juggling multiple businesses and responsibilities, I’ve experienced firsthand the overwhelm and burnout that comes with constant digital distractions.

 

Since embracing digital minimalism, I’ve transformed my business and life in ways I never thought possible.

 

When I first began dabbling in research about digital minimalism, I thought I might be able to clear out my camera roll photos, streamline my calendar, and enjoy less time on technology…

 

Now I’ve come to discover that practicing digital minimalism brings many more benefits than these initial few!

Here are the top four benefits I’ve experienced:

 

 

4 Benefits of Digital Minimalism

  1. Peace of Mind

No constant notifications or distractions pull me away from the present moment. I now have the mental clarity to focus on important tasks without worrying about the balance of enjoying life’s simple pleasures. Less really is more!

 

  1. Increased Productivity

With streamlined digital systems, I can start tasks efficiently and finish them even quicker. I’m not wasting time searching for files or getting lost in tabs when everything I need is at my fingertips.

 

  1. Structured Business Operations

Developing streamlined workflows and processes has allowed my team and I to work much smoother. Introducing automation has eliminated most of our daily, lower-level administrative tasks.

 

  1. Intentional Presence

Instead of being tethered to my devices, practicing digital minimalism means I’m now more present in day-to-day life. Whether spending time with loved ones or engaging in leisure activities, I’m diligent and intentional about my device usage.

How was I able to accomplish all of this?

 

One of the key factors that enabled me was a shift in mindset. Rather than viewing digital decluttering as a tedious chore, I began to see it as a pathway to liberation. Seeing time spent organizing my digital tools as a means of reclaiming my time freedom and mental space.

 

With these newfound perspectives, I began a process of elimination. This not only simplified my digital life but also instilled a newfound sense of focus.

 

Here’s exactly how I did it:

7 Ways Digital Minimalism Will Improve Your Life

 

Audit and Declutter: Start by auditing your digital devices and online accounts. Delete or archive unnecessary files, tools, photos, emails, etc.

 

Set Boundaries: Designate specific times for checking emails, social media, and other time-sucking online activities. Practice self-discipline to build resistance to the coercing of these platforms.

 

Simplify and Leverage Your Tools: Identify essential apps and tools for your business. Cut the rest that either complicate your processes or aren’t essential. Streamline your workflows accordingly. Remember – optimize, streamline, and automate wherever possible.

 

Practice Mindful Consumption: Limit exposure to negative content and declutter your follow list. Surround yourself only with content that inspires you and aligns with your goals.

 

Disconnect Regularly: Take breaks from digital devices and engage in screen-free activities. Start by leaving your phone at home when going for walks, short errand trips, and the like. Work your way up to full days off of tech to see a significant boost in creativity and focus.

 

Focus on the How: Minimize the number of platforms and tools you use. Centralize your projects in one system to simplify your workflow. In digital minimalism, if a tool is not simplifying your life, remove it and commit to finding a better way.

 

Creative Thinking Time: Allow yourself space for creative thinking and problem-solving. Boredom is never a bad thing! Practice proactive problem-solving to enhance your business flow with digital minimalism.

 

 

By implementing these frameworks of mine, you’ll streamline your business operations, boost productivity, and reclaim your valuable time freedom! Now that you are equipped with the knowledge of 7 ways digital minimalism will improve your life, don’t forget to start implementing them today.

 

Share Your Tips!

 

Do you already practice digital minimalism in your business? I’d love to hear your tips and experiences. Share them in the comments below – let’s learn from each other!

 

 

 

Taking the First Step

 

If you’re ready to simplify your business and embrace digital minimalism, I encourage you to join our course
Organize Your Business.

 

With our support and help with the application process, this is your valuable opportunity to declutter and get organized in the digital world. Reclaim your time freedom and enjoy working in your business again. You can start the course today and experience the transformative power of digital minimalism by next week!

 

 

 

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Feb 02
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How to Get Your Small Business Ready for Tax Season

By Blog, Business Organizing, Checklists No Comments

As a business owner, you may experience mixed feelings when it comes time to get your small business ready for tax season.

 

Tax season is a stressful time for many of us personally, but add business to the mix? It’s a whole other world!

 

With receipts scattered, documents misplaced, and procrastination looming, it’s no wonder we avoid all tax-related tasks until the last minute.

 

In this blog post, I’m sharing my simple organizing strategies honed over two decades. With these systems in place, you can keep your taxes organized for both personal and business use year after year.

 

 

Let’s dive into the five best tips to kickstart a stress-free tax season!

 

How to Get Your Small Business Ready for Tax Season

 

 

Centralized System for Receipts:

 

Organizing receipts is crucial for a smooth tax filing process. Designate a specific spot in your wallet, desk, or car for collecting receipts. Use durable zipper pouches labeled with categories like “Business Expenses” or “Medical Receipts” for easy sorting and retrieval. Regularly empty these pouches into your central tax folder to keep everything tidy and in one accessible place come tax season.

 

Digital Tax Folder:

Since we’re living in the digital age, it’s beneficial for you to digitize as many documents as you can to get your small business ready for tax season. Start by creating dedicated tax folders on your computer for both personal and business taxes. As you receive documents, scan or photograph them and file them directly into their respective folders. This ensures a well-organized digital archive for easy reference whenever you need something!

Personalized Tax Checklists:

 

Develop customized tax checklists for your specific needs. You can find free basic templates online to start with and just tweak them where needed. For business owners, maintain separate checklists for personal and business taxes. Customize these lists to streamline the gathering of required documents for tax season.

 

 

File Folders with Expanding Pockets:

If you haven’t already, choose a filing system that suits your needs. File folders work well for smaller amounts of documentation while folders with expanding pockets are ideal for larger volumes. To get your small business ready for tax season and beyond, prepare labels for upcoming years to save time in the future and recycle old folders as needed. This ensures a seamless transition from one tax year to the next!

 

Archive System:

 

Establish an archive system for past tax years. Keep only the current year and the two previous years in your immediate workspace for reference. Use labeled hanging files or expanding file pockets for each year to separate and store them in a designated area, such as a home office or storage space. Make sure these paper documents stay safe from damage by moisture or any other potential cause by using at least a banker’s box or even fire-proof storage.

 

 

Now you’re prepared to get your small business ready for tax season!

 

Implementing these organizing tips will transform your tax season experience from a last-minute scramble to a perfectly planned filing time!

 

From simply managing receipts to creating a digital archive, personalized checklists, and an efficient paper-to-digital filing system, you’ll be well-prepared for stress-free tax filing year after year.

 

Remember, the key is consistency. Find a system that works for you, customize it to your needs, and stick with it. The more you switch around your system the easier it is for pieces to fall through the cracks.

 

As tax season approaches, you’ll appreciate the ease and efficiency of having all your documents in order!

 

If you have secret tips of your own or more questions about how to get your small business ready for tax season, feel free to share them in the comments below!

 

 

 

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Jan 19
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Streamline Your Business Productivity with Bookmarks

By Blog, Digital Minimalism, Digital Organizing No Comments

It doesn’t take much to streamline your business productivity with bookmarks in Google Chrome. After implementing these 8 simple steps, you’ll see your productivity increase TODAY!

 

 How many times have you had more than 25 tabs open when suddenly our computer updates and you lose everything? All the tabs, websites, and apps that you were logged into?

 

Maybe you have a time slot of an hour to work on a project… but you spend half of it trying to log into everything.

This is wasted time that you can prevent from happening by saving the login details and login page in a convenient location.

 

We’ve all been there. That’s why I’m here to share some game-changing tips to streamline your business productivity with bookmarks in Google Chrome.

I teach on this topic regularly, and it gets the MOST feedback for how much it has changed other business owners’ day-to-day operations! It is often the smallest tweaks that make the biggest difference 😊

 

You can also use these time-saving tips on other internet browsers like Chrome, Safari, Firefox, Microsoft Edge, or any other browser.

 

Prepare to revolutionize the way you organize your digital life!

 

Streamline Your Business Productivity with Bookmarks

 

I’m Sherry Borsheim and welcome to the Simply Productive Blog. This is where we guide you on simplifying and organizing your business and life. Each week we’re sharing with you the exact strategies on how to gain more free time and shed even more stress!

 

If you’re like me, wasting time searching for web pages or logins in Google Chrome is a major frustration. It’s so bothersome to me when I can’t find something. So much so, that I have tried many ways over 20 years to solve these roadblocks in my workdays.

 

That’s why I now prioritize organizing my bookmarks, considering them an essential part of my daily workflow!

 

Why Streamline Your Business Productivity with Bookmarks?

 

Bookmark organization isn’t just about today; it’s an investment that pays off in saved time tomorrow, the day after, and in the weeks and months to come.

 

The time you invest in learning these quick, easy tips today will become a lifesaving gift down the road.

 

The seemingly small act of organizing your bookmarks can be truly impactful. Especially when you consider the multitude of apps and websites you navigate daily. Let’s introduce the time freedom and peace of mind to access your files, resources, and websites swiftly!

 

How to Streamline Your Business Productivity with Bookmarks

Enabling the Bookmarks Bar

Let’s begin to streamline your business productivity with bookmarks starting with the basics. If you haven’t activated your bookmark bar in Google Chrome, now is the time to do so! Click on the three dots in the top-right corner, navigate to “Bookmarks and lists,” and select “Show all bookmarks.” This simple step will unveil the canvas to create your bookmark folders.

 

Bookmarking Sites

With your bookmark bar now visible, let’s bookmark your favorite sites. Click the star icon located on the right of the address bar while on a webpage you want to save. Name it as you prefer, and under “Folder” is where you can choose the location to save it. For now, we will save it to your Bookmarks Bar. Your first bookmark will now appear under the address bar!

 

 

Organizing Folders

To streamline your business productivity with bookmarks while keeping things tidy, let’s work on creating your folders. Right-click on the bookmark bar and select “Add Folder.” Name it according to what category of bookmarks you’ll be saving inside. This is especially useful for grouping related sites or creating workflows.

For example, you may want folders for Social Media, Digital Tools, Product Links, Courses, Finance, Shopping, etc.

 

 

Naming and Editing

Short and sweet is the key when naming bookmarks in Google Chrome. If the default name is lengthy it won’t be able to display the whole name. Conserving space on the bookmarks bar is key to getting the most out of it. Right-click on a saved bookmark and click on “Edit” to adjust it. Don’t hesitate to add emojis that will help you remember what the item is quickly for a touch of expressiveness!

 

Subfolders

For a deeper level of organization, you can break folders down even further by adding subfolders. Click to open one of your folders then right-click within a folder (on any item), select “Add Folder.” Again, name it as you like then drag and drop the new folder within the parent folder to rearrange the order (I recommend it at the top for easiest access!). This is how you can build your hierarchy effortlessly and fine-tune how you streamline your business productivity with bookmarks. Drag the bookmarks you’d like to keep in there to rearrange as needed.

 

 

Workflow Creation

Now we’ll be focusing on leveraging folders to create workflows. For instance, in your financial folder, you may want to organize bookmarks for tasks like monthly bills, tax-related sites, or receipts. This visual checklist ensures you won’t miss essential steps come monthly taxes and yearly tax season!

 

 

Access on All Devices

One of the perks of using the bookmark bar in Google Chrome is seamless integration with any device. Once organized, your bookmarks will magically appear when you log into your Google account on Chrome on your phone, computer, tablet, etc! This feature is a game-changer for those who frequently switch between desktop and mobile.

 

 

Keeping it Neat

Remember, any bookmark on the bar is accessible quickly only if it fits on your visual bookmarks bar. If you have more folders or bookmarks than what fits on your bookmarks bar, a double arrow will appear on the right that drops down a list of the excess. To keep your bookmarks bar neat, you should categorize every loose bookmark into a folder on your visual bookmarks bar. To maintain this, keep folder and bookmark names concise and avoid any quick saves to “Other bookmarks” or “Mobile bookmarks.”

 

 

 

As you now see, when you streamline your business productivity with bookmarks in Google Chrome, it’s a time-effective strategy for organizing websites and apps you frequently visit!

 

Whether you use a PC, Mac, or access your bookmarks on mobile devices, these tips will keep your digital tools streamlined and accessible at your fingertips.

 

The impact goes beyond the immediate; it’s about streamlining your digital workspace and ensuring quick access to everything you need, on-demand.

 

Let’s start on this journey of bookmark mastery and streamline your business productivity with bookmarks now! And don’t forget to stay tuned for more weekly tips on enhancing your business’ productivity and organization.

 

 

 

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