At the end of each month, I select five posts and do a round-up of those that have drawn attention, are timely and/or I’ve found fun to research and write.

Here are five posts for September:

Organize & Write Well

Are You a Sticky Note Freak?

Organizing Your Phone Time

How “Green” Are Your Business Supplies?

Handy-Dandy Gadgets to Organize Your Sewing/Quilting Business

Were there favorite posts at My Organized Biz that I didn’t mention?  What are they?  I’m also starting to plan my October posts.  What would you like to learn about in organization? 

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In answer to the question, “What are you struggling with (in organizing)?” in a previous post, one reader responded:

I’m struggling with piles and piles of letters and other documents going back 8 months that need weeded, shredded, filed,….. ! I spend more energy agonising about getting it done – because I know it will demand a fairly full day of my life – that I likely would just doing it.

The reader mentioned she liked the suggestions mentioned here at My Organized Biz.  Hopefully by following some of them…what about 20 Minutes a Day of Organization…will help her make a dent and then get her mass of paperwork fully organized.

Tackle a little at a time (“one bite at a time”) and you’ll eventually get it done.  Some days you’ll have more than 20 minutes.  If you sit there and agonize, the mass of paper will continue to grow. 

Do you have any suggestions for this reader?

Do you try to start your week off with goals set regarding what you plan to accomplish?  Do you write these down on a schedule or simply have vague ones in your head?

Some people say they take time Sunday afternoon or evening to plan their week.  You’ll know, if you have an outside the home job, when you’re working, unless it’s an “on call” type of position such as the substitute teaching I do.  However, I make my plans, leaving the flexibility for getting called.

What goals do you have for your job or your business?  Are there special events happening?  Do you have project deadlines?  (I just e-mailed a newspaper column that’s due every Monday.)

I have some fixed business appointments and plans on my weekly schedule.  I have to allow flexibility for stubstitute teaching.  I have a fixed schedule for a second outside the home job.  I have deadlines for my blog and column writing.  I have certain activities I need to do for a business with my husband.  Then there are family commitments.  It’s a juggling act, but is easier if I have some planning done Sunday night or early Monday morning.

How do you organize your week?

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Now that I’m writing this blog, I’m always on the lookout for items that will help us be more organized and to work more efficiently, productively and profitably.  If we can save time by being organized, then we’re on the way to better time management and profitably.

The other day, when I was substitute teaching, I noticed some organizer items on the teacher’s work table and desk that looked very helpful.  On her semi-circular table, where she worked with small reading groups, was a vertical pencil/pen holder with compartments for the various items if she wanted to separate them by categories and colors.  There also was a side slot where she kept sticky notes.

On her desk was another of these organizers, as well as a slightly slanted horizontal holder for paper clips of various sizes, push tacks, and other small items.  There also was a place for small size note paper or sticky notes here.

All of these kept the items she needed close at hand instead of scattered around the desk or table.  Much more efficient than constantly having to search under papers and books and notebooks for them.

What types of desk organizers do you prefer?

As I was glancing through an office supply catalog, I came across an interesting telephone stand for a desk phone.  The telephone sat on the top.  Under this was a space to store the phone book.  There was a pocket on the right side for storing pens, pencils and small note pads.

It seems so compact and handy and would keep everything regarding the phone and messages at your fingertips and organized.  Saves you time searching for the phone book and materials for taking messages.

If you have a phone on the wall, you’ll need to find some other compact method for organizing your phone messaging materials, whether it’s for your business or personal needs.

Do you have any handy organizing methods for your phone?

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Organize yourself so that you have time to write well on your web site or blog.  Also, be coherent and understandable in your business correspondence, whether it’s e-mail, Facebook, postal letters or text messages.  This, of course, depends on who you’re corresponding with.  However, in general, you need to give the impression that you’re a competent and capable business person, not someone who conducts a business “hit or miss.”

Laura Spencer, at Writing Thoughts, has some thoughts about what could be wrong with your business web site: One most common problem that many companies overlook is the quality of the writing on their website and the quality of writing in their printed materials.

In her blog post, Professional Writing – A Key Component to a Professional Image, gives valid suggestions on how to keep your customers/clients from thinking you do sloppy work or provide a sloppy service because of sloppy writing on your web site or in your promotional materials.

So…give some thought and organization to your writing.  Organize yourself and write well when you’re corresponding with the business world, customers, and potential customers.

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One system I like to use for keeping in contact with customers is sending postcards.  I’ve discussed this at Home Biz Notes, in the post, A Postcard a Day for Friendship and PR. So that you can keep up with this routine, which brings cheer and information to friends, family, customers and business associates, you may want to do a little organizing.

• Keep postcards on hand and with you
• Pick up postcards when you’re traveling
• Use postcards from your own area
• Make special business postcards
• Make postcards from your art and photographs
• If you’re an author, use cards with covers of your books
• Use generic cards with inspiring sayings
• Set up a particular time of day to do your postcard(s)
• Write at least one per day, even if some days you write more

Postcards, even if you send e-mail or use other communications, with handwritten notes shows that you care, are concerned about the person and want to keep in touch.  Sometimes you may have printed messages, but at least hand write a greeting and signature.

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If you write a blog for your business, you may tend to run out of topics or update ideas.  Then you become frustrated and discouraged and wonder why you’re doing this.  However, if you continue writing frequent posts, you’re more likely to have readers coming to your blog.

What about making a list of 100 post ideas for your blog (today!), an idea discussed by Oscar Del Ben, guest poster at Daily Blog Tips.  Oscar said it took him about three hours to do this.  However, if you don’t have three uninterrupted hours, keep a notebook beside you and jot down the ideas as you think of them.  On subsequent pages, make notes of more detailed information to be contained in the posts.

I often write down future ideas but usually have no more than five.  I thought I was doing well, but this makes me consider having an ongoing list.  Then I’m never at a loss, when I sit down at the keyboard, about what to write.

What suggestions do you have about organizing your blog writing so you don’t get a block or are at a loss for ideas?

As more people are becoming “green” conscious, not necessarily “green” extreme, you’ll find more office supplies and gadgets developed that help preserve and conserve our environment, as well as make life easier for us.

I’ll check out some of these over the next few posts at My Organized Biz to help you see about organizing your office and business in a “green” manner.  I’ll also try to find some “green” web sites that assist with this.

If you’re using “green” and recycled supplies that you find especially handy, do let me know.  Also, if some of the green supplies don’t hold up so well, we should know about this, too.

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Are you organizing yourself to align with the “green” movement sweeping our country...and the world?  This doesn’t mean you have to go to the extreme and incorporate some foolish ideas that seem popular but actually aren’t affecting the environment at all.

However, by researching how you can incorporate “green” (reusing, upusing, recycling, etc.) into your business, you may attract more customers and clients.  On the other hand, if you emphasize “green to the extreme,” you may turn some people away.  You need a balance.

Look into office supplies and see how you can save, reuse, and recycle.  Are you being most effective in your use of these items?  Are you using those that save on the environment?  Are you finding new uses and new products that will be helpful in your business?

Make a list of what you can do and then begin to organize yourself toward “green” in the sensible, not extreme.

For instance, when I don’t need the material in file folders any longer, I recycle the folders, turning then inside out or making a new label.  We have accumulated a huge pile of folders, emptied out since I started my 20 minutes per day of organization.

What are you doing about “organizing” green?