Happy first Thursday in March! We are finally starting to leave winter and slowly start heading into spring. In order to get ready for spring, I want to talk about how I plan to attack my spring cleaning for my business. I think spring cleaning for business is so important because it helps me stay efficient and organized. So let’s jump in to discuss how I do my spring cleaning.

1. Files review. I go through my files and get rid of RAW files from shoots over a year old. I’ve learned over the past few years that I don’t go back and look at RAW files due to how my workflow process is set up. RAW files can take up a lot of storage space so there is no reason to keep the RAW files if I’m not going to ever look at them again. I also go through my Downloads folder on my computer. I use Canva a lot for my social media so I have a lot of files that are sitting in my Downloads folder. During my spring cleaning, I go through and either delete those files or put them in their respective folders.
2. Gear review. Just like when I do spring cleaning in the home, I go through the gear and materials (i.e., dresses, accessories, etc.) I have to determine what I still use and want to keep. Sometimes I’ll stuff because I think I’m going to use it and then realize a year later I’ve only used it once and have no real plans to use it again. I figure I might as well sell/donate that stuff so someone else can use it and I can free up some space.
3. CRM review. This is so important for me to help keep my CRM running as efficiently as possible. I normally try and do “spring cleaning” of my CRM on a continual basis, but I definitely make sure I do it during my business spring cleaning timeframe. Some of the ways I “clean” my CRM is making sure all of my clients are in the right stages of their photography journey; I make sure I have added all notes I needed for that client; I ensure I’ve signed all the contracts; etc.
4. Website Review. Just like with my CRM review, I’m constantly looking at and tweaking my website. However, I do make sure I really look at it in-depth during my spring cleaning session. I review the images that I have on my website and make sure they are up-to-date; I make sure the information on my website is up-to-date (in case things have changed); etc. This ensures my website continues to look awesome.

Spring cleaning is so important to helping me and my business run as smoothly and efficiently as possible. I. highly recommend that you incorporate some kind of spring cleaning into your business process.