There are two types of people in the world. First you have those who were born with the organization gene; second are those who were not. Are you part of the second group of people? It's okay! You can still keep your small business organized.

The benefits are many. An organized business person is able to get more work done in less amount of time. They remember important events and meetings. They feel less stressed and out of control. So here are some practical tips for those of us who don't have the organizational gene built in.

Don't Leave a Messy Workplace at Night

Make the last task before heading out for the evening a quick few minutes to straighten your workspace. Gather your office supplies up and place them together on your desktop so they are ready to go when you return. Check the trash can and empty it if necessary, and remove any empty cups or other dishes that are cluttering your desk.

Most important, quickly go through the papers cluttering up the desk and stack them somewhat in the order they need to be tackled in the morning. While you're at it, start a to-do list for the next day, and label each item "A" "B" or "C" depending on how important it is to complete.

By taking 5-10 minutes to complete these simple tasks each evening, you will find renewed motivation in the morning to tackle the day ahead.

Use the Rule of 3 to Group Work Product

There are those who have a file folder for everything and know immediately where anything is. Then, there are the rest of us. I have found the best way to organize my working papers so that I can actually find something when I need it is to use the rule of 3.

It is a simple concept. Maintain only three stacks of paperwork at any one time. Stack number 1 contains your most pressing things - those you want to accomplish today. Next, are those items to accomplish sometime during the week, and the final stack contains those less pressing items to get to within the month. You may need to dedicate some time up front to get these three stacks organized, but the time will be ultimately saved as you are able to find needed paperwork much more quickly without digging through everything on your desk.

Just Do It

The reality is that each day you avoid creating an organization system that you can live with you miss opportunities for your small business. A larger part of your day can be spent on making your small business succeed when you are organized. But remember, one size does not fit all and what works for one would drive someone else crazy. So find the system that works for you and make sure you can commit to using it every day.