Starting up a business: Create an efficient office administration

Forming a company is a very rewarding experience. With record numbers of start-up companies being recorded by the UK government last year, more and more entrepreneurs are getting encouraged to join the bandwagon.

But forming a company also means facing a number of challenges. The challenges an aspiring entrepreneur is even more numerous because he is building his business from the ground up. One potential challenge would be in setting up an efficient office administration.

Below are some valuable tips that will help you set up and keep an efficient office administration.

Keep things clean. It’s a simple tip but highly effective. Working in an office that is untidy is not a very conducive environment. Eliminate any kind of dirt or mess at the earliest opportunity. Keep your desks and work surfaces clutter-free. If you are working at home, try to find an area that is dedicated just for running your business.

Efficient paperwork. Pick a filing system that you are comfortable with. Also, organise your paperwork into logical and manageable piles. Sort and file them as soon as possible. A growing pile of unsorted documents gets harder and harder to sort out as the day progresses. It could also happen that an important piece of document (maybe a payment notice) will accidentally get buried in that growing pile of paper.

Don’t forget your accounting. Many businessmen agree that accounting related tasks and functions should always be given utmost attention. Keep an up-to-date and accurate record of your income, expenditures and other expenses on either an accountancy software or on spreadsheet. Always be on time in posting off your VAT returns, filling out your Annual Companies House return or making Inland Revenue liability payments. If you have hired an accountant, he can surely help you in fulfilling these tasks.

Take care of your emails. The Internet now plays a very integral part in running businesses – be it large or small. In fact, e-mail communication is now the main form of communication and has replaced the previous archaic forms like snail mail and fax. It is a good idea to reply to all e-mails sent to you within 48 hours. It is not only more efficient, it also frees up your time to do other important business functions. There are times when this may not be possible because of the hectic pace of running a business but you should also remember that clients hate waiting for a reply. A prompt e-mail reply would also give a favourable impression to clients.

Create a good system. Each person has an idea of how to best organise their time and duties. Try to identify which areas of office administration is giving your problems or difficulties and devise a system to solve the problem.