The words we choose can cause a concept to be embraced or scorned. There’s inevitably a look that appears in clients eyes when I bring up the topic of creating documentation for day-to-day tasks. I hear comments that range from, “It’s a waste of time” to “I (or my employees) know what to do, it’s […]
Document
Formatting Your Documentation, 4 Factors to Keep in Mind
Your business documentation will change and evolve over time. How you create and interact with it will as well. Choices you make today about how you write, format, and store your information will impact its future. Here are four things to keep in mind as you begin to think strategically about your documentation. 1. Multiple […]
When to Write Documentation?
When is the best time to write business documentation? Before you need it. I find it easiest to write when I’m working on the process, aka “As You Go”. Why? This habit was ingrained back when I was teaching programming. A well commented computer program happens as you code! Comments and change logs are essential […]
3 Key Steps for a Simple & Successful File Strategy
Perhaps you think you have the simplest solution to document management — you don’t have any plan. That’s not helpful to your business. By contrast it’s super easy to over think and make a super complicated system. That’s just as detrimental! I know, I’ve done both. The key to a successful system is one that […]
Creating a file strategy
Now that we’ve created all this documentation it’s a good time to start exploring some of the ways technology might be used, abused, and improved in your business. I’m going to begin with an area I personally need to address for my business, writing these posts will keep me accountable. Let’s talk about all those […]
Next steps after documenting your business
Congratulations, I hope this series of blog posts has shown you the value of documentation for your business. I can anticipate your next question, “Now what?!” Here are three quick next steps you can take now that you’ve started on this path. First, revise the documents for both content and formatting. If you’re like me, […]
How documenting your business can help you simplify
Working more effectively is a worthwhile goal however it’s challenging to figure out how to begin. I’ve seen documentation help a business highlight that starting point. Be honest, after completing a task for your business a certain way once, how often does that become The Way thereafter? Many of my clients sell both directly to […]
How documenting your business can help you tell its story
Interactions with clients over the years have shown me that the time spent documenting the business helps the website too. Wouldn’t you love to have your website practically write itself? For example, a client grumbled about documenting the steps required for shipping products. As we were working on it, a website query came in questioning […]
How documenting your business can help you budget
It never fails to surprise me when a client tells me they don’t have a budget for a specific project. I’m even more surprised if this is a project they’ve done before, such as a new project launch or attending a conference. The reasons vary but the most common one I hear is: “a budget […]
How documenting your business can help you plan
I often face resistance from clients when I ask about their business documentation. Because I’m tired of sounding like a broken record of “you need it”, throughout September I’m sharing examples of how this often overlooked part of your business is key to success. In early October I plan to release a guided worksheet (as […]