Small Business Organization: The Many Hats (Part 2)

This is the second of two posts about how I organize myself in the wintertime, to ensure seamless operations in the summertime.  

Winter is my opportunity to get a plan in place before the chaos begins. The quiet moments of winter might seem like nothing (I’m sure people wonder . . . what do you DO all winter long?) but truly these months are the MOST important in determining the summer’s successes and outcomes.  If you haven’t yet, read the first post about how I organize my business.  What follows is Part 2!

Once I had it clear in my mind how many different hats I  was wearing, and all tasks were divided and color-coded, it now was time to actually come up with an achievable plan and execute it.  I’ve found that I do my best thinking in the morning, when the whole day is ahead of me and the pressure is off.  It’s the same with the season– I do my best thinking in the wintertime, with the whole season ahead of me.  This is the time to decide which markets I will apply for, which varieties of sunflowers I will grow, and how many subscriptions I can accommodate in the year ahead.  Of course, flexibility is key, and there are certainly going to be game-time decisions.  It’s essential to be able to pivot!  But having a firm starting point is critical.

THE WALL CALENDAR:  The first thing I do every year to establish this plan is to lay out the entire year ahead and schedule the big tasks.  (I got this idea from a flower farmer in Michigan, Lori Hernandez.  She runs Three Acre Farm and is an incredible resource.  If you don’t follow her yet, you should!)  Lori’s advice is to buy a large desk calendar, tear off each month, and tape each page to the wall, in order.  I do this in my office where it’s visible from my desk. Then, I go back through all the job descriptions that I previously created, and I identify any vital tasks for each role.  I place a corresponding color-coded post-it note (purple for accounting, pink for marketing, etc.) for each task on the due date. I only do this with the big things, those which only come around once a month or less (like “place tulip order” or “dig dahlias").  This helps me to feel confident that all my bases are covered and nothing gets forgotten!

WEEKLY TO-DO LISTS:  For the smaller, weekly tasks (specific seed starting jobs, harvesting, bouquet making), I make a weekly to-do list.  Yes, that’s right.  In January, I complete a to-do list for each week all the way through September.  I include any relevant details right in the list so I don’t have to look it up elsewhere.  For example, I indicate which variety of seed that I’m sowing, the quantity, and which type of tray I should use.  For transplanting, I indicate which flower bed it should go into based on my garden map, spacing, quantity, etc.  The weekly to-do lists are a lot of work on the front end, but when life gets busy, I can just grab my weekly to-do list and go!  

BATCHING:  Throughout the season, on Sunday nights, I take five minutes to peek at the next week’s to-do list and create a quick, fluid schedule for the week to come.  I decide when I will try to accomplish each task (working around kids’ appointments, sports, and activities!) and I try to batch my tasks for efficiency.  For example, I might dedicate an entire morning to seed starting or marketing, instead of breaking the tasks up between several days.  I also am sure to glance at my big yearly calendar as well, and schedule a time to work on any big deadlines that might be approaching.  I also leave time each day for checking/answering emails and messages.  

BONUS– BOUQUET TAGS:  Another time-saver for me is the subscription bouquet tags.  I make up my weekly subscription list ahead of time, prepare all the name tags for each bouquet, and then place each week’s tags in a zip-loc bag.  I label each bag with the date and place them all in a tote.  Then, when the time comes, I just grab the corresponding bag and I have in my hand a tag for each subscription bouquet that I need to make that week.  

From year to year, this whole planning process gets easier.  Most tasks stay the same and within the same general time-frame, unless I’m making adjustments.  And, of course, I always remember that this is a starting point.  Changes come up, post-it notes get moved on the calendar, and penciled-in instructions get erased and rewritten.  It’s expected and it’s good.

And that’s it!  These routines are the backbone of my small business. It sounds like a whole lot of preparation, but in the heat of the moment (hello, May!) I don’t have time to think.  I only have time to follow my boss’s prepared instructions.  Some weeks, that list is doable– other weeks it feels pretty overwhelming!  I’d file a complaint about her absurd expectations, but I doubt she would listen.  (Insert eye roll . . . wink, wink!)