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As The Voice of Small Business™, we think it's important to stay up to date on good business strategies. Unfortunately, we can’t say there is one tried-and-true technique. That’s why there’s over two million results for business books on Amazon. 

BUT, one thing we do think works for small businesses, is keeping a list of essential things that you MUST do EVERY DAY. By doing these same things every day, you not only develop better work ethic and a more productive routine, you ensure that you are practicing good business. 

Here are our suggestions for the 5 essential things you should be doing for your small business every day: 

1. Map out Your Day 

It’s easy to write a quick to-do list of all the things you need to get done in one day, but are you really planning how you’re going to get it all done? It’s important to identify which of your most important tasks must get done ASAP, and which ones are okay to get pushed back a day if necessary. You can even schedule your harder tasks for the morning, when you’re feeling more alert, and schedule some of the easier tasks for your after-lunch slump. By mapping out your day in this way, you can ensure your success for the week, and ultimately, your success as a small business. 

2. Schedule Breaks 

This may seem counterintuitive to mapping out your day, but taking small breaks throughout the day can actually help you get more work done. There’s even some science behind taking breaks: breaks help to prevent boredom (thereby helping you to stay focused), breaks help you to retain information, and breaks help you reevaluate your goals. 

Try taking a short break every 90 minutes to give your brain some time to rest. You could sit outside and eat a small (healthy) snack, go for a quick walk, or even just take a meeting with a colleague away in a different setting away from the computer screen. 

3. Be Socially Active 

If you want an active audience for your small business, you need to stay active on your social media accounts. That isn’t to say you need to spend 8 hours a day tweeting and posting pictures, however. Just pick a few blocks of time during the day to tweet to your audience, “like” a few things, maybe take a selfie. Just a few good posts throughout the day can really help you to engage your target demographic. 

4. Tidy Up 

Keep clutter at bay by spending a little time every day clearing up your desk, filing papers, filing electronic files on your computer desktop, deleting old emails, etc. Even if you can’t get rid of all the clutter, just 15 minutes a day of tidying up will keep things much easier to find in your office space, and save you a lot of time in the long run. 

5. Take Your Customer Service to the Next Level 

As a small business owner, you’re competing with businesses 10 times as big as you, with 10 times the resources. So it’s important that you go above and beyond when it comes to customer service – it can really make a difference between a one-time sale and a repeat customer. If you receive a complaint, be sure to address it immediately. Even if you can’t necessarily do something about it right away, acknowledge that you received the complaint, and let the customer know you will be doing something to remedy the situation.  

Start doing these 5 essential things every day for your small business. You’ll not only see your business start to move in a positive direction,  you’ll also feel good about the difference you’re making to your customers as well.