How many ebooks, products, or ecourses have you bought lately that tell you how to "manage" your business? I'm guessing that NONE of them tell you how to "manage" your business, but rather they tell you how to market your business, get more clients, and increase your income.

Building a successful long-term profitable business isn't about "marketing" your business, it's about "managing" your business - the marketing comes once you have your management systems in place.

You cannot begin to market your business if you can't find the information you need, don't know who you are marketing to, and don't know where you are in your business.

Before you can begin to "market" your business you need to "manage" your business - so let's go back to basics and take a look at the 3 essential office management systems you need to have in place.

Filing Management System

Creating and maintaining a filing system is the very foundation that your business is built on, so this is the very first system you need to put in place - an efficient and effective filing system.

With a proper filing system in place you will very quickly and easily be able to find the information you need, when you need it.

Contact Management System

After you've got your filing system all straightened out, you then need to set about organizing your contacts. This is another crucial area of managing your business. Once set up correctly your contact management system allows you to:

* Keep a note of clients, potential clients, and colleagues contact information.

* Follow up with a prospect easily and effortlessly.

* Quickly and easily locate critical client contact information.

* Build your business.

Financial Management System

The is the final key office management system you need to put in place for managing your business. Having a complete financial overview of your business means that you will be able to much more effectively market your busiess.

Having up-to-date, critical, financial information available at your fingertips allows you to efficiently manage cashflow and be able to know straightaway if you can take advantage of opportunities that come your way.

So remember, go back to basics and first "manage" your business before you "market" your business.

(c) 2008 Tracey Lawton

Author's Bio: 

Tracey Lawton is the office organization expert and teaches online service professionals how to operate an efficient, organized, and profitable business. Let her teach you how to create office organization success in your business, and receive The 7 Key Steps To An Efficient And Organized Office, report free at