Home Business Operation Basics

One of the least talked about, yet very important aspects of running an online business is the organization and actual operation of the business. Any successful business, offline or online, needs to be organized from the beginning. Even a one-man operation like Red Lion Books needs to be organized. Here are a few tips on staying organized and keeping your business running smoothly. Plan Before you jump into any online venture, you should take some time to plan it out. I know from experience, the first draft of Redlionbooks.com looked totally different than it does now. I used the remains of the first, half-completed site as a plan for this site. It was like a list of all the parts that were going to come together to make this site. I recommend that you start by making a checklist of the essential parts of your future site. Write It Down When I first started out, I thought that everything could be filed away on a spreadsheet in Excel. I had one spreadsheet for article promotion, another one for ezine promotion, and so on. Although this is only a personal preference, I think that good old paper and pen is great for organizing your promotional efforts. I now have one notebook for the different types of promotion, a notebook for bills, a notebook to jot down random thoughts. I just have them in a neat pile with in easy reach. These are the most important aspects of my business, and I feel more secure knowing that I have a hard copy as well. Email Folders Making separate folders in your email program can also help you get organized.