FACT: Modern business owners are bombarded with email every day (which doesn’t help for organising your email inbox, am I right?!).
Whether it’s important business communications, promotions, or spam mail, we can’t seem to escape it. The good news is that by organising your inbox, you can stay on top of incoming mail while keeping track of important messages.
If you’re not sure about where to start with organising your inbox or want to know about the benefits of having a system for this task, read on to learn more.
The advantages of a tidy inbox
1. Only see what you want to see
How often do you log into your email account to see a packed inbox that only contains a handful of important messages? If this describes you, it’s time for an inbox cleanup. Actively managing your subscriptions and using filters to manage incoming messages can drastically cut down on the mail you receive each day. Ultimately, less mail means more time that you can spend on other important tasks.
- Cut down on overwhelm
Checking emails is one of the first things that business owners do each day. If you wake up to an avalanche of messages, you’ll feel overwhelmed, whether the emails are important or not. With a reduced number of messages, you can easily sift through your inbox without becoming stressed.
- Save time
Ultimately, organising your inbox saves you time so that you can focus on other business tasks. With a system in place, it’s easy to treat your inbox like a to-do list that you can work through and then set aside. And that’s the best way to approach your email – check it a few times a day and turn off notifications otherwise so that you don’t get distracted during other tasks.
Email inbox organisation tips
Use incoming message filters and rules
Did you know that you can place filters on incoming mail so that certain items don’t make it into your inbox? It’s true – you can filter out emails from specific senders or sources to cut down on clutter. You can also set emails from certain sources to auto-delete so that they go immediately into your trash can instead of your primary folder. Setting up these filters can spare you from the headache of sifting through all kinds of unnecessary messages.
Use symbols and flags
Most email providers have multiple options for flagging and sorting emails. You can use different colors, symbols, or tags to keep your messages in order. This is especially helpful if you have others accessing an inbox, such as an online business manager (OBM) or a VA. You can use tags to assign messages to specific people.
Create templates
Templates are essential for boilerplate emails that you send on a regular basis. For example, if you frequently send pitches to journalists, outreach emails to potential partners, or follow-up emails to customers, templates will save you loads of time since you can copy and paste everything you need.
Unsubscribe frequently
Set aside time to sift through your subscriptions and unsubscribe from any emails that you don’t open. Conversely, if you actively read content from many sources each day, use a bundling service that organises multiple subscriptions into one tidy email. That way you can still see the content you want without having a bunch of separate messages.
Take your inbox to the next level with REAVA Solutions
Anything that you can do to reduce stress in your life is valuable as an entrepreneur. If you want hands-on help with your inbox, contact Ee Zen at REAVA Solutions for a consultation.
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