Guest Article Ever visited a home designed around the simple principles of minimalism? From the moment you enter the space, it’s obvious that something is different. Clutter is nearly nonexistent. The few knick knacks that made the cut actually have purpose. The space somehow seems bigger. When you’re in a place like this, you feel a sense of peace and satisfaction. Imagine bringing that level of order, balance, and functionality to your small business You can – and should – bring minimalism into your small business, whether you’re running it from your home or a brick and mortar location. It’s not that hard, you can start right now! Follow these principles to up your efficiency, boost productivity, decrease clutter, and cut time spent on looking for things. It make no sense to spend large amounts of time on efforts that aren’t bringing you significant returns. It’s simpler than you think to use a minimalism approach. Clear the clutter with the SHED method Start with an office-wide necessity audit. What’s there that doesn’t have to be? What’s there that shouldn’t be? What do you need, but don’t have a place for right now? Gather these items and sort them into piles. You might try the SHED method: Shred (items to destroy or trash) Hide (items you need, but that can be “hidden” with smarter storage) Elsewhere (items that can be placed out of your workspace) Donate (items you can give away or donate) Increase efficiency with the Pareto Principle Also known as the 80-20 rule, the Pareto Principle is a powerful staple in bringing minimalism into your small business. It states that on average, 20% of the tasks and effort you’re putting in are responsible for 80% of the results you get. Conversely, the other 80% of your efforts are essentially going to waste, bringing in only 20% of your results. Your task: Identify the 20% of tasks that are bringing you 80% of your results – and figure out how to outsource, delegate, or altogether cut the 80% of tasks bringing you just 20% of your returns. Amp up productivity…