It’s April, and you know what that means? It’s time to throw open your windows and get your spring dean on! In the past were done checklists to help you spina dean both your home and your business, so this year we wanted to do something a little different. Instead of trying to tackle everything at once, we’re going to focus on your digital side. Computers are black holes of digital clutter. Because the space just expands to fit whatever we need, we tend to just put stuff in them. But we very rarely take the time to remove what we don’t need. Taking the time to go through your digital storage and give it a refresh and an organise ready for the year ahead. Sound good? Let’s dive in!
Start with The Desktop
Look over your computer desktop. How many things are on there? And how many of those things do you really still need? A lot of people use it as they would a physical desktop – a place to put the things you’re working on temporarily, but don’t always remember to clear it off once it’s done. Take a minute to rename anything you want to keep and delete what you don’t need. If you like using your desktop as a temporary workspace, create a folder for ‘finished’ items that you can empty regularly.
Review Your Programmes
Over the years we install all sorts of software and programs on our computers, some of which we don’t use anymore. But all of that software piles up, and it can significantly slow down the performance of your computer. Go into the applications area of your PC or Mac, and delete anything you don’t use anymore. You’ll be amazed how much faster your computer will run! There is a caveat here – if you’re not 100% sure that you don’t need it any more, don’t delete it.
Un – Bookmark
How many times have you bookmarked something to go back to, but never actually gone back? We all do it! Browser bookmarks have their uses, but they can quickly get out of control. Spend some time going through your bookmarks and work out what you want to keep, and what you can get rid of. In Chrome, you tap the 3 vertical dots in ‘the upper right to access the bookmarks menu, in Firefox you find it in the menu and then library, and on Safari you click the sidebar button in the toolbar and choose ‘bookmarks’.
Click ‘Unsubscribe’
If you shop online a lot or do lots of research, then you’re probably on a fair amount of waiting lists. And let’s be honest, how many do you read, rather than just delete? Now is a good time to go through and unsubscribe from all of those junk emails. You can do it manually, or there are free tools like unroll.me that you can use to bulk unsubscribe, which will make your digital declutter go a lot smoother.
Clear Financial Documents
When it comes to documents relating to business finances, it always feels best to hold onto absolutely everything, just in case. tut if your business is over 8 years old, then you have at least one year of accounts you can get rid of. HMRC only requires you to keep records for 7 years, so if you’re holding on to old records ‘just in case’ -check the date then get them shredded.
Clear Your Cache
Your browser stores all of the keystrokes and websites you visit every day in something called a cache. The fuller your cache gets, the slower your browser will be. It’s important to clear your cache on a regular basis to protect your security and keep your browser performing well. Empty The Recycle Bin Once you’re confirmed that everything in your ‘trash’ isn’t important. hit delete! It’s a wonderful feeling, and it will keep your computer performing well. It’s the best way to end a digital declutter.
Of course, you may not be able to do this yourself, especially if you have a lot of files to go through! At Your Admin Hub, we love a good digital deal utter, and we love helping busy business owners feel that freedom. So if you want the liberation of a digital deal utter without the stress of doing it, just get in touch to book yours.