Unlocking the Secrets of Digital Organization

Hello, my fellow Macpreneur. Are you drowning in a sea of files, making it difficult to find what you need when you need it?

Today, we’re diving into the art of digital file organization so you can reclaim your time and focus on what truly matters. 

By the end of this episode, you’ll discover three principles that will help you craft the perfect organization system for a busy solopreneur like yourself. Additionally, you’ll learn a step-by-step process to conquer file chaos and streamline your business.

I’ll unpack all of this after the intro.

Welcome to the Macpreneur Podcast

Hello, hello, and welcome to episode 86 of the Macpreneur podcast. Whether it’s your first time or you’re a long-time listener, I appreciate that you’ve carved out some time from your busy solopreneur schedule. I created Macpreneur to help you save time and money by streamlining how you run your business on your Mac.

One way to achieve that is by operating your Mac as efficiently as possible.

To assist you, I’ve prepared a quiz. It’s available at macpreneur.com/score, and it takes less than two minutes to complete.

After answering a few questions revolving around the three killers of Mac productivity, you’ll receive personalized time-saving tips based on your results.

Additionally, you’ll receive an exclusive link to book a free 30-minute Zoom call with me.

Once again, visit macpreneur.com/score, S C O R E, and start boosting your efficiency today.

The Power of Efficient File Management

Now, let’s dive into today’s topic. 

Imagine this: you need a crucial document for a client call, but your files are scattered everywhere on your desktop, in downloads, and buried in random folders.

This lack of organization wastes precious time and creates unnecessary stress. However, it doesn’t have to be this way. 

The good news is that you are in the right place, my Macpreneur friend. In this episode, I will help you build a system that reflects your unique workflow and keeps your files easily accessible.

Forget complex hierarchies and confusing structures. You will learn how to create a filing system that’s intuitive, efficient, and keeps your business running like a well-oiled machine. 

So, in today’s episode, I will go over three main points: a philosophy that I inherited from my grandfather, three key principles that apply to any kind of solopreneur business, and finally, a simple yet powerful step-by-step process to transform your digital chaos into a streamlined, efficient workspace.

Granddad’s Timeless Wisdom for Organization

Let’s begin with a principle that my grandfather lived by, which helped him keep his workshop organized. 

His mantra was: ‘A place for everything, and everything in its place’. My grandfather, whom I affectionately called Bon Papa, was a DIY expert. In his basement, he had tools for working with wood, metal, and plastics. He even owned a press for making his own books.

Each cupboard was labeled, and indeed, there was a dedicated spot for everything. 

This philosophy also applies to digital filing. File clutter is a symptom that either A, there isn’t a designated place for a file or folder, or B, the file or folder isn’t in its proper place yet. 

In this episode, my focus will be on helping you establish an effective file structure or improve your existing one.

So, if you already have a robust file organization structure in place and need help automating file management, I recommend checking out the last three episodes of season two available at macpreneur.com/season2.

Three Key Principles for Effective File Structure

When it comes to setting up a file structure, I recommend adhering to three key principles. 

The first principle is to keep your business file structure separate from your private files. 

The second principle is that the ideal file structure should mirror your business processes. 

The third principle is to start as shallow as possible and then deepen the structure only when absolutely necessary.

Regarding the first principle, the boundary between our business and personal life often blurs for solopreneurs. It’s natural to handle both types of files on our main computer. However, having two distinct places for our business files and private ones will help keep your digital life better organized.

There are two main strategies to achieve this. The first is to have two separate main folders accessible within the same cloud storage account. The second is to have two separate cloud storage accounts, one for personal files and the other for business ones. 

Personally, I prefer and recommend the second strategy because it’s much more secure, despite the need to manage two separate accounts.

The second principle is that the best organization system is one that reflects how your business is structured or how you serve your clients. I’ll give you two personal examples, one for EasyTECH and the other for Macpreneur. For EasyTECH, I created four top-level folders: 01 – Admin, 02 – Business Dev, 03 – Finance, and 04 – Operations. This structure mimicked the development of my business. 

Initially, I focused on administrative tasks, such as setting up the business, getting a VAT number, a license, and so on. The second phase involved finding customers, hence the Business Dev folder. The final two folders relate to the accounting side of the business and dealing with client work. This structure was inspired by a book I read early on, “The E Myth Revisited” by Michael Gerber. He speaks about thinking in terms of larger businesses that have different divisions, even if we have a small business. 

This file structure made a lot of sense when I started EasyTECH and proved to be an effective way of organizing files. 

For Macpreneur, I created a structure based on the framework from Chris Ducker’s book, “Rise of the Entrepreneur”. I’ve organized the files into three top-level folders: 01 – Build, 02 – Market, and 03 – Monetize.

The third principle is to start as shallow as possible and deepen the structure only when absolutely necessary. For instance, inside the 04 Operations folder, I started with a Client folder and a Tech folder. Over time, these folders expanded. 

Eventually, I split the Client folder into two: one called B2B and the other B2C. I then rearranged the files to make it easier to locate client-related files. The same thing happened with the Tech folder. It was eventually split into two: a Devices folder and a Tools folder.

Step-by-Step Guide to Streamlining Your Digital Workspace

The question at hand is, how can we transition from our current file structure to a more efficient one? To assist you with this, I will outline a step-by-step process that I have successfully implemented with several of my solopreneur clients.

The first step is to decide where you will store your professional and personal files. It’s advisable to use a system that synchronizes via the internet, allowing you to access them from all your devices. Simultaneously, ensure that the solution you choose complies with any regulations your business must adhere to.

For instance, in Europe, this would be GDPR. However, if you’re handling patient data in the US, it would be HIPAA. I also recommend using a private cloud system or an end-to-end encrypted solution. What does this mean? 

A private cloud could be something like a Synology Network Attached Storage, which I personally use. It’s essentially a box filled with hard drives that reside in my home. Since I live in Luxembourg, I know that my clients’ and business data are stored in Europe. There are also end-to-end encrypted options. This means that the data on any device is encrypted, and only the devices you control have the keys to decrypt it.

Two solutions that offer this type of encryption are Sync, found at sync.com, and ProtonDrive, a Swiss company. With these solutions, even though data is stored on their servers, they cannot access it because the data is encrypted, and the encryption keys are only stored on your devices. 

The second step involves moving all your existing professional files and folders into a single temporary folder. Do the same for all your personal files. 

A helpful tip here is to start the folder’s name with a dash, ensuring that it will always appear at the top in Finder. Another tip: if you have a selection of files and folders in Finder, you can quickly create a new folder with that selection by right-clicking and choosing “New Folder with Selection.” The keyboard shortcut for this action is CTRL, CMD, and the letter N. 

In the third step, create the new top-level folder structure for the professional files you need to manage, using principle number two. You can either use a more generic structure like 0.1 Admin, 0.2 Business Dev, 0.3 Finance, 0.4 Operations, or if your business follows a specific framework, use that for the top-level folders.

Step four involves opening two Finder windows side by side, one displaying the content of the temporary folder and the other showing the top-level structure you just created. 

Finally, in step five, start moving files and folders from the temporary folder into the main top-level folders. Create second-level folders only when necessary. 

As a last recommendation, make your most frequently used folders easily accessible from the Finder window or your desktop. 

To create a shortcut to the most used folders in Finder, drag and drop the folder into the favorites section in the Finder window’s left sidebar. If you prefer accessing your top-level folders from your desktop, you can create aliases, which are essentially shortcuts. 

Before we recap, there’s one more thing I would like to mention.

Synchronizing Your Digital Environment

Once you’ve established a robust digital file organization structure, the goal is to standardize at least the top-level structure across your digital environment. 

For instance, in Safari, I have replicated this folder structure within the favorites folder for bookmarks. I have folders labeled 01 admin, 02 businessdev, and so forth. 

The same applies to Apple Notes, where I have replicated the top-level folder structure for both Easy TECH and Mac preneur. Inside the Mac preneur folder in Notes, there are folders named 01-Build, 02-Market, 03-Monetize. 

Next, consider the Time Tracker. In my case, with Toggle and Timery, I’ve created projects that follow the exact same top-level folder structure. The last aspect to consider is tasks and project management, which could be reminders or, in my case, Todoist. I have also replicated the same folder structure here. 

As a bonus tip, if you handle physical papers like contracts or invoices that are still sent to you by regular mail, I recommend mirroring the top-level structure with your physical binders as well.

Recap and Next Steps for Solopreneurs

To recap, we discussed the transformative power of digital organization for solopreneurs. This was achieved by separating personal and professional files, mirroring your business processes in your folder structure, and only deepening the structure when necessary. This can streamline your digital life.

Here’s what I suggest doing before the next episode. 

First, reflect on whether there’s truly a place for every file in your business. If not, follow the proposed six-step process using the three key principles. 

Now, if there’s already a place for everything but you’re still struggling with file clutter, then check out the last three episodes of Season 2 available at macpreneur.com/season2. 

If you found this episode helpful, please share it with a fellow solopreneur and tag me on Instagram. My handle is @MacpreneurFM. 

If you’re ready to streamline your solo business but don’t know where to start, sign up for my 360-degree Tech Diagnostics service.

After completing a comprehensive assessment form, we’ll have a Zoom call. During this call, I will provide my top three recommendations, including tools and services to consider. After the call, you will receive a summary report with the points we discussed and all the necessary links. If you decide to work with me one-on-one after that, I will deduct the diagnostic fees from the first coaching pack that you purchase.

To learn more about this, visit macpreneur.com/diagnostic or click the link in the show notes. 

That’s it for today. In the next episode, we’ll explore ways to optimize your email workflow, reducing the time spent on managing incoming and outgoing messages. 

Until next time, I’m Damien Schreurs, wishing you a great day.