Give Your Business a Spring Clean

It may not feel like it just yet, but spring is here. There’s a renewed sense of energy that comes with the anticipation and excitement for the warmer days ahead. Before you know it though, summer will be here. Now is a great time to “spring clean” your small business to get ready for the busier months to come. Here are four suggestions to get you started.

Clean. Literally.

With the hustle and bustle of the holidays you probably didn’t get the chance to keep your business as neat and organized as you’d like. After the holidays, it was time to think about taxes. The cold, snowy winter days probably didn’t do much for your motivation to clean either. Take some time to unclutter, clean and freshen up your business space. This is especially important for retail businesses where making a good impression on your customers is vital.

Show Your Computer Some Love

Are your systems slow? Do you keep getting error messages that you’ve been ignoring? Do you have old e-mails, files and unused programs that may be slowing your computer down? Maybe you have several e-mails and other electronic documents that you want to keep, but haven’t filed yet. Update your software and your virus protection and back-up your important files. You’ll be surprised how much more efficient your systems can be.

Evaluate Your Inventory and Supplies

Warmer months typically mean busier months for most businesses. Are there some inventory and supply orders you’ve been putting off? Don’t wait until it’s too late to get what you need to meet the spring and summer demand.

Reinvigorate Your Marketing Plan

Has the status quo been your marketing strategy lately? If so, it’s time to refresh your website, redesign your marketing materials and evaluate which of your efforts have been paying off and which have been wastes of time and money. Spring is also a great time to try some new marketing ideas, such as a customer loyalty program, scheduling an open house, sponsoring a local youth organization or finally implementing that social media strategy you’ve been thinking about.

For more tips and tools on how to improve your business this spring, SBA has a number of resources that can assist you. Visit SCORE, the America’s SBDC Iowa, the Iowa Women’s Business Center at the Iowa Center for Economic Success and the Veterans Business Outreach Center for more information.

Learn about other “How to Start a Business” resources in The Partnership’s Small Business Resources Hub or sign up for the Small Business Resources newsletter and stay connected for information about upcoming events, other resources and the latest announcements in the small business community in Greater Des Moines (DSM).