Six ways to get organised - quick!

WHO Kristina Karlsson, 38

LIVES Melbourne, Vic
WHY SHE’S WISE She opened one stationery shop in Melbourne then turned it into 50 boutiques across Australia, NZ and Singapore (plus an online store). She’s won a string of accolades, including Telstra National Young Business Woman of the Year and Ernst & Young’s Entrepreneur of the Year. Not bad, since her initial aim back in 2001 was to set up a business that would bring home a modest $500 a week.

LOOK FOR THE BRIGHT IDEAS IN PROBLEMS
The idea for kikki.K stemmed from the fact that Karlsson, who’d moved to Australia from Sweden in 1995, couldn’t find any of the attractive and inspiring stationery products available back in Scandinavia to set up her home office. “My solution: create them from scratch,” she says.

PUT YOUR (VERY SPECIFIC) GOALS DOWN ON PAPER
“I turned my initial idea to set up kikki.K into a clear vision of what I wanted to achieve and let that guide my decision-making. I created a business plan that became my road map to achieve my vision. Going through the process of putting it on paper was important. I made sure that I reviewed this regularly and refined it over time.”

ALWAYS DO WHAT YOU LOVE
“The best piece of advice that I’ve ever been given is to do something you’re passionate about. You sacrifice so much and go through many ups and downs setting up and running your own business, so it’s hardly surprising that you end up developing a very close emotional and intuitive attachment [to the business]. You’ll still have to work hard, but if you love what you do you’ll get through anything.”

DON’T TRY TO BE A SUPERWOMAN
Being mother to Axel, 3, and Tiffany, born this year, plus the CEO of a retail chain, has taught Kristina about the importance of delegation. “No matter how attached you might become to your business – or all the other roles in your life – at some point you must realise that you can’t do it all on your own. You really need other people who you can delegate responsibility to.”

MAKE LISTS
“With so many things to remember, it’s easier than ever to forget something. So making lists eases my mind. I create to-do lists, shopping lists and weekly planners to ensure the important things aren’t forgotten.”

INDULGE IN “ME TIME” OFTEN
Even women who juggle managing multinationals and motherhood find some time to chill out. “I love eating good food and drinking good wine. And exercise is a passion of mine – it helps me clear my head and remain focused. I also love spending time with family and friends. And did I mention good food and wine?”

To-Do Plan

File smart “Paper flow mayhem can throw a home and office into chaos. Keep on top of it by filing documents as they arrive. I recycle any paperwork I no longer need – it causes clutter. Use an in-tray or ‘step file’ to sort paperwork into categories such as To Action, For Later, To File.” This also works for email.

Plan, plan, plan “Use a yearly wall planner to mark important dates, holidays, deadlines and events so you see them approaching and avoid last-minute dilemmas.”