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A to Z Organizing Pros Creating Simple Solutions for Easier Living!® Call or visit 602-ORGANIZE.com (Direct: 602-790-9369 no solicitation calls please) "Find anything within seconds using creative, efficient solutions"
Organize My Office/Business Enter here for a chance to win an Organizing Makeover Disorganization, clutter and inefficiency could cost your company as much as $3,000 a year per employee! Wasted time and expenses can be reduced and we can show you how! Learn to love your life in business! Would you like to have someone help you unclutter, purge or organize your office/business? Do you just need some guidance to improve on the efficiency of your current systems or set-up? We realize that sometimes the task of organizing seem overwhelming. You may also believe that you need to get somewhat organized before you hire a professional organizer. Well let me tell you just what we have told many clients before you, "that?s what you are hiring us for, let us help you?. We can give you the gentle push to help you begin the job that you think is insurmountable. We can spend some time with you going over each process in your office and help you to fine-tune your current systems. Listening to how you do every process allows us to improve the efficiency and help you to create systems that are based on how you operate and do business. We'll help you clear the office of unnecessary clutter and even help you completely redesign other areas that you may not have thought of. Many times clients become oblivious to how much clutter is on their desk or in their office. It's our job to point out the things that are slowing you down and creating inefficiencies in your environment. You will be amazed when you realize how much more productive you can be once your environment is uncluttered. You may even go into "organize mode". You can rely on our knowledge, expertise and gentle persuasion to give you the organizing help you need for your office and your life. You too can realize improved efficiency in every area of your life with the simple tools, tips and systems you learn in your office.
Our Professionals coach you to draw out the knowledge you already possess and teach
you how to create systems that work for you. It?s always a work-together
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seconds.
Organizing Tips For Organizing My Office and Business List of recommended organizing supplies 80% of what we file is never even looked at again! Colored vinyl file folders for your desktop Designate an expiration date for your filed material. Efficient way to name hanging files and interior files Envelopes for storing documents? Get file cabinets to allow you to store Group things whenever possible Group your books into categories Handling Bills and mail (Toss, Schedule, Check, Pay, File) In a file folder for each appointment Keep it simple when designing a filing system Manila folders can expand to accommodate your files Placement for tabs on hanging file folders Prime Real Estate is the top of your desk Schedule a specific time of day to do all of your return phone calls Save tax records and other important/similar documents for 7 years Schedule your priorities and prioritize your schedule Segregate active files from archive files Several meetings on a business trip Specific time of day to process your snail-mail STOP Credit reporting agency list for ?pre-approved? CALL NOW! Use a highlighter when reading What is the policy is in your office for the retention of files/records? When storing boxes make sure the contents are labeled on all 4 sides of the box as well as the top lid. Whenever something will take less than five minutes Would I grab this, if the office was on fire? Tips to Organize Your Home-Office
++++++++++++++++++++ How to organize a desk drawer and other things?. Many professionals depend on flawless organization for their success. You have to be able to find just what you need without looking? sometimes even in the dark, often in chaotic, time-critical conditions. Why shouldn't you have the advantages of fail-safe organization all the time? #1 key is to organize for retrieval rather than for storage. Dedicate one drawer for your most frequently needed items, determine what those items are and precisely where they belong and put them there. Arrange your desktop in a way that is comfortable, useful and makes sense to you. Place your frequently used items such as, business cards, staple remover, binder clips (in place of paperclips), tape, and etc. close by. Then implement the same type of system in all your environments, home, office, garage, closet, hobbies etc. #2 key is standardization. This is one of the things that can make life easier. Make sure you take advantage of your own forms of standardization in your area. ( *A professional organizer may be able to help you determine what forms of standardization best fits your habits and lifestyle.) #3 key is discipline. Put everything in it's place. When you need your favorite pen or highlighter or staple remover, it will be there for you. The thousands of minutes you may save can amount to days, even weeks over time. Remember: Taking care of the little things can free your mind to dwell on the big things. #4 key is not to go overboard. It's good to maintain at least one junk drawer?usually a big one in an out-of-the-way location, where you are free to put things without a thought to organization. Such a catch-all space may help you clean your area and free your mind. Schedule time to go through this drawer at least once a year. +++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Group your books into categories of non-fiction, fiction, and reference. Consider placing the categories on different bookcases. Also consider placing all the books of a particular category into alphabetical order by Author. Take time to organize your "mobile office" properly. Decide what materials and file storage you need so you can operate effectively from your car.
80% of what
we file is never even looked at again!
Categorize your items, keep things in each category together. Cut down on distractions - Empty workspace of everything but the project you?re working on. Get "to-the-point" - Schedule appointments and meetings with both beginning and ending times. People are more "to-the-point" when they are up against a deadline. Note a "discard date" on a document (that is the date it will become obsolete.) At some time past that date, you will know that it can be discarded without even having to take the time to read it over again. Use colored vinyl file folders for your desktop files that are ?URGENT?, ?PENDING?, ?TO DO?. RED - Hot or Urgent (Open this folder first thing every business day.) YELLOW - Pending (waiting for someone or something else.) GREEN - To Do (not Urgent) BLUE - To read (this folder is a "take with you folder", for those times when you have to wait on something. It's good use of "dead-time") Computer System Maintenance Protect your computer and all your hardware from damage and/or loss of data. We highly recommend that you invest in and use a surge protector, Anti-Virus protection software and you may also want to invest in a good back up program. Check your computer for disk errors. All of these and more may be set up to occur automatically on a regular basis or you may opt to do it yourself. Call or write us for your FREE full color, step-by-step instruction packet. Designate an expiration date for as much of your filed material as possible. Maintain consistency, use a colored pen in the upper right-hand corner and code the expiration date on the material. Whenever you are hesitant in assigning an expiration date, just add 3 months. The next time you are in that file and find one with an expiration date that has passed -- toss it! Avoid taking the time to re-read, or re-analyze your decision. Discard any periodicals you can do without. Most periodicals are out of date after 6 months. You can get it again. Someone else will write about the same thing again in the near future. Discarding your extra stuff. It's the first step to getting rid of clutter. Efficient way to name hanging files and interior files, keep it simple! Always stick with the first identifying word that comes to mind for that group of papers. Attempts at making it overly sophisticated ensure you won't remember what you called it and you do need to find what you have decided to save. Name the interior file with an identifying word and write the name on the tab. On the front cover of the interior file, write the name of the group within the hanging file where you are going to place it. For example: a hanging file for all information for a particular subject. The hanging file is labeled with the ?subject name?. Within that hanging file are several file folders. The topics are different, therefore each interior file not only has its" folder labeled appropriately -- it contains the ?subject name? on the front cover: This way anyone using the file system that retrieves an interior file knows exactly where it gets returned to without having to understand the logic of the file system. Envelopes for storing documents? Remember "out of sight, out of mind". Just think of all the time you will spend opening each one just to find what you are looking for. When you open documents to full size, then file, you will be able to find what you are looking for faster. Get file cabinets to allow you to store customer files, accounting information, business files, important papers, policy and procedure manuals, etc. Group things whenever possible Incoming information is the enemy. Don't ignore it or put it off. Have a station for dealing with all forms of incoming data mail, e-mail, faxes, phone messages. Have your calendar handy, your to-do list and a huge trash can. Write appropriate notes in your calendar and toss the supporting documentation, unless it will be needed.
Handling Bills and mail (Toss, Schedule, Check, Pay, File) Process "snail-mail" and e-mail using an In/Out system that mirror one another. When processing e-mail, be prepared to have the time to answer, forward, file, delete, place it in your ?pending? e-mail file to do later (remember to flag it for a follow-up date and/or time). Keep it simple when designing a filing system. The name on a file should be the first thing that comes to mind, unless of course you have a tried and true system. Stay away from elaborate color schemes. Magazine Subscriptions? Start weeding through those old magazines. Much of what we subscribe to is outdated in as little as 6 months, so discard any magazines older than six months, unless of course you take the time to pull the articles out that you want to save. Make notes in your planner about what you need to take with you when going on an appointment or business trip. Store all the documents and materials in a file folder for each appointment. Manila folders can expand to accommodate your files. They have several scored lines on the bottom. Fold the scored area as necessary to expand the size of the folder. Placement for tabs on hanging file folders. When the tab is on the back of the hanging file folder, you must first find the label for the hanging file, then go back to the front of the hanging file to find the manila file you are looking for. Place all tabs on the front of the hanging file. You will normally approach a file in such a way that when the tab is in front, you can access the file in the category faster. Prime Real Estate is the top of your desk. Make sure you always have this area clear for your current project. Record all notes and messages in your day planner or electronic organizer. Knowing they are always in the same place makes retrieving the information easy and quick, and nothing gets lost. Reduce Junk Mail Ask them to remove you from their direct mail lists: Mail Preference Service, Direct Mail Marketing Association, P. O. Box 9008, Farmingdale, NY 11735-9908 Take the time to cut out relevant articles to save, beware that you are not saving an entire magazine or newspaper for this purpose. Chances are when you save the entire document, you will forget "what article" you were saving anyway! Remove paper clips Remove paper clips from any to-be-filed documents. They have a tendency to get caught on another paper that is a different subject matter within the interior files. This will make it simpler to access out or add in any documents. It is just a good way to keep the file folder easy to work with at any time. Multiple sheets of similar topics that are sharing the same interior folder that you would like to keep together, simply remove the clip and staple it, binder clip it, or at minimum just, remove the clip. Return calls in batches. Leave specific messages and the time you called if the person you?re trying to reach isn?t available. Save tax records and other important/similar documents for 7 years. When storing tax information, be sure to include credit card billings, receipts, check registers, bills and any other documentation used in calculating your deductions. Also include copies of your tax forms. Date the file with the tax year then file. Keep in mind that certain types of businesses and professions are required by law to maintain records longer than 7 years. Check with your CPA or local tax attorney. Schedule a specific time of day to do all of your return phone calls. The best time of day to return and/or make telephone calls is 30 minutes before lunch, and 30 minutes before quitting time. Schedule your priorities and prioritize your schedule. A TO DO list is a great way to start this process. Segregate active files from archive files. When creating or organizing an archive file system. Use a "destroy date" on archive boxes. When have several meetings on a business trip, start a folder for each meeting, label and store materials accordingly. Designate a specific time of day to process your snail-mail. Create a routine by sticking to this time as much as possible throughout the week and process the mail at a high-energy time. Be prepared to have the time to answer, forward, file, discard, or to place it in your ?tickler? file to do later. Have close at hand, a letter slitter/opener, a trash receptacle, distribution folders/baskets. STOP Credit reporting agency list for ?pre-approved? CALL NOW! Toll free (888)567-8688 Authorization form will be sent to you. You may also send in a letter to: OPT-OUT DEPT. P. O. Box 24025 Seattle, WA 98124-0025 requesting that you be removed from credit reporting lists. Information that you MUST include is: Full name, Social Security Number, Current Address, Previous Address. Your letter MUST also include the statement ? In accordance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act, I wish to be permanently removed from all pre approved credit offer mailing lists by credit grantors.? Tabs for hanging file folders, place all of them on the front of the file. The fingers normally approach a file in such a way that if the tab is in front, the interior folder for that file is right there. If the tab is on the back of the hanging file folder, you must first find the file, then go back to the front of the file to find the file you are looking for. Take 5-10 minutes at the end of each day to plan for tomorrow (this same time can be taken at the beginning of each day). Identify and prioritize tasks necessary to reach your goals on a daily "to do" list. Be careful not to commit every minute, allow flexibility for unexpected and urgent tasks. Telephone book organization Using a hanging file folder (pendaflex, with the hooks on each side) place the folder at the 1/2 way point of the book and hang. Place the folder with the book over it in a file drawer. You may do this with all your bound books including magazines. Use a highlighter when reading business journals, magazines and reports. Remove the article from the publication and place a note in the upper right corner with the category or a memory jogger. You may choose not to remove the article and just flag the important page with a sticky note, jotting down a one-word description of the content on the sticky note, for quick retrieval at a later date. Utilize a magazine organizer of your choice to segregate materials such as business journals and periodicals that are often saved as reference material for a later date. What is the policy is in your office for the retention of files/records? Someone needs to make this decision or you may end up storing everything indefinitely, because no one took the time to analyze the data and make a decision about what to destroy/get rid of! Note: people have a tendency to invest in more file systems and/or archive boxes. You will eventually need to increase the amount of storage space and incur more costs. When storing boxes make sure the contents are labeled on all 4 sides of the box as well as the top lid. This will expedite the retrieval process as well as ensure that the contents will be visible from any angle. Would I grab this, if the office was on fire? If not, why save it? Don't keep anything you can find somewhere else. Clear away as much as possible, then clear away more. Form the habit of throwing things out the emotional cost of being surrounded by useless paper is higher than you realize. Whenever something will take less than five minutes do it now!
Additional Tips may be found in the monthly "Organizing You News" Newsletters
The material
contained herein has been collected over an extended period of time.
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