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2025 business to do list
8 min read

Your Ultimate To-Do List For Getting Your Business Organised In 2025

Is 2025 your year to get organised? To dedicate a bit of time to setting up systems for yourself so that things stay in order and you’re making the more efficient use of your time. Little and often is the way to go with being organised. Create routines and habits for yourself, and don’t stress if they don’t work; ask how they could work better for you and tweak them. It’s about making your life easier.  

Organising your time  

Organising your time effectively will reduce stress, increase productivity and help you achieve your goals faster.   

1. Use a digital calendar 

Use something like Google Calendar, which is synced across your desktop and phone, and add all of your meetings, tasks and deadlines to it as soon as they are agreed upon.   

2. Set phone alarms 

Spend the evening setting alarms 15 minutes before each meeting or appointment you have the next day.  

3. Time block  

Block out time in your calendar for specific tasks and focused work without interruptions. 

4. Family time  

Use a shared calendar for family activities and put them in before your work commitments if you can to ensure you get you priorities right and get good work/life balance.  

5. Pen and paper  

If you use a paper diary or notebook for your tasks, make sure you carry it with you at all times.

6. Use one thing  

Don’t use different things or scattered notes for to-do lists, decide on one system, whether that be phone notes, a notebook, Trello, etc. and a way you can prioritise within it.  

7. Project books  

Have separate notebooks or folders for different projects or subjects.

8. Plan monthly or quarterly recurring tasks 

Look at a month or a quarter and split the business activities that need to be done within that time by week. And repeat.   

9. The 5-minute rule 

If something will take less than five minutes and needs doing, do it straight away (this includes email replies)

Sipping coffee

A little bit of effort now to save lots of time in the future  

Turn short-term effort into long-term gains you’ll benefit from again and again.  

10. Always do what you say you’ll do 

If you say you’ll do something, write it down on your to-do list or as a task in your calendar straight away so you’ve committed to it and you’ll remember. Ideally block out time to do it too.   

11. Learn to say no 

If it’s not a priority for your business or you don’t want to do it, set boundaries and say no.  

12. Invest in smart software

Use a CRM system and a project management tool.

13. Get an accountant  

If finances aren’t your jam, get someone to do them for you and use accountancy software to automate your bookkeeping.  

14. Get a Virtual Assistant 

Outsource your admin and any tasks you don’t need to do so you can use your time for more valuable activities.  

15. Direct debit  

Set up automatic bill payments.

16. Team birthdays  

Add them to your calendar, and then jot down their favourite chocolate or drink as a note when you find them out. Keep a stack of birthday cards in your drawer too.  

Tidy workspace, tidy mind  

A cluttered environment can make it harder to think clearly and concentrate.  

17. Have a big tidy-up  

It’s hard to feel organised if you’re surrounded by clutter, so have a clear and sort out.  

18. Get a cleaner  

Cleaning is another easy thing to outsource that probably isn’t the best use of your time. If cleaning your house or workplace hangs over you or you like to use it as a distraction, it will also free up brain space.  

19. Keep a tidy desk 

Instead of getting to the point where you have a very messy desk, get into the habit of giving it a quick clean at the end of each day.

20. Make a space

Create dedicated places for things.

21. Put things away 

If you use the kitchen table or a shared home space for work, put things away at the end of the day so you can switch off.  

Don’t let emails control you. Close the tab and turn off notifications and just spend the time on it that you’ve assigned.  

Declutter your screen time  

It’s easy to feel busy if you’re in front of a screen, but we can waste days every year on distractions and needless tasks.  

22. Keep on top of email 

Don’t let your email inbox get out of control as it can hang over you. Spend a dedicated amount of time each day to keeping on top of it.   

23. Turn off email notifications 

Don’t let emails control you. Close the tab and turn off notifications and just spend the time on it that you’ve assigned.  

 24. Filter emails 

Set up email filters to automatically sort incoming messages.

25. Save passwords securely 

Use a password manager.

26. Back it up 

Regularly back up important files to cloud storage and use something like Google Drive which auto saves.

27. Wipe time 

Spend some time deleting unused apps and files.

28. Delete distractions 

Delete apps that only serve to distract you.

29. No phone zone 

Have time without your phone to focus on tasks or buy a Light Phone or phone lock box.

30. Don’t write the same email twice  

Create template answers for emails. 

31. Don’t create the same document twice.  

Create templates for recurring documents.

32. Rename files 

Create a consistent file naming system and folders for digital documents so they are easily searchable and findable. 

Flip chart

Feeling well organised in business  

33. Don’t be tempted to add more things to your business 

Always tempting to add, to overthink it, to think you need something new, Follow the “one in, one out” rule – when you buy something new, remove something old

34. Create an ops manual  

Make a record of how you do things, then you have an easy way to remember and train others.

35. Have a wall planner  

Have the most important dates and tasks in your business in front of you to see.  

36. Monthly financial review  

Review your finances and cash flow actuals at least monthly.

37. Save your taxes 

Check how much you should be putting aside and put it into a separate account ready for when they need paying.

38. Keep an updated inventory 

If you keep stock, keep on top of how much you’ve got.

39. Keep a contact list 

Leverage your network and keep in touch with them.

40. Check-in  

Schedule regular check-ins with important people on your team and stakeholders.

41. Self-review  

Schedule regular sessions to reflect on your achievements and learn from your mistakes.

42. Keep a resonance journal  

Make notes from books, podcasts and webinars that resonate with you or things you want to try. Use software like Notion to make them searchable.

43. Maintain a personal development journal  

It’s so important to pay attention to your progress and enjoy the journey. You can include anything you like: communities you’ve joined, competitors you’ve visited and learnings, confidence growth, qualifications, events, contacts made, and new things tried.

44. Goal set

What does success look like? Set quarterly goals and review progress monthly.

45. Cowork  

Join a cowork space or do it virtually to surround yourself with business people similar to yourself for a sense of accountability, to grow your network and open up opportunities to collaborate or share skills.  

Things you can do in your personal life  

The organisational skills you develop in your personal life can become the foundation for running an efficient, successful business. Or vice versa.  

46. Meal plan 

Dedicate time on a Sunday to plan your food for the week and get a food shop delivered. This will encourage you to eat healthier too which is better for energy levels.

47. Get like Gok  

Plan your outfits for the week ahead to save time each morning and feel super stylish.

48. Create morning and evening routines 

Set the tone for the day and give yourself the best chance of getting a great night’s sleep.

 


 

Start small and pick two or three things from this list that would make the biggest impact in your life right now, and gradually incorporate more as these become habits. Stack habits onto other habits to make it easier to remember to do them.

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Sophie Cross

Sophie Cross is the Editor of Freelancer Magazine and a freelance writer and marketer at Thoughtfully.

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