My Organized Biz

Tip #24: Find What Works for You
I know, this sounds like the cheesy catch-all avoidance tip. But it’s not.
The thing to keep in mind is that no matter how great a tip for getting organized is, it’s not great if it won’t work for you. I will never successfully use a Franklin Covey binder – my husband swears by his. I like post it notes stuck to my computer – “experts” say this is a terrible idea. I love Skype for getting information quickly – many of my colleagues consider it a time waster, not …read more

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Tip #23: Learn How to Use Your Phone

People waste tons of time on the phone at the office. With a few tips, you can shave time off of your phone time and be more organized.
I don’t mean the basics – I mean the “extras.” Most phone plans – cell or landline – are bundled with extra services these days. Some of them are relatively useless (don’t get me started). But some of them are quite handy. Make sure that you understand:
1, Caller ID. I love Caller ID. I used to hate it. …read more

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Tip #22: Have a Web Presence
We all know that having a web presence can be good for promotion. But it can also be good for organization.
What?
Communications can be time consuming. Newsletters, press releases and the like are important but they can also eat up your time and money – and sometimes the results are limited.
With a web site, you can supplement your existing promotions. Even better, you can quickly get the word out about last minute specials, immediately combat potentially bad press if something goes wrong, post hiring and other personnel announcements, solicit feedback… The …read more

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Tip #21: Use Client Codes
In our office, we assign each client or customer a number. Sometimes, it’s just a regular number, like 156 – sometimes, there’s a trailing number as well like 156.01. There is a method to our madness.
But what are the perks exactly?
For one, I don’t always do my own filing. In the beginning of my practice, I spent a lot of time going through piles of papers where it was not clear to the person who was doing the filing where the papers actually belonged. This was especially confusing if there were …read more

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Tip #20: Consider Colored Paper
Everyone uses colored folders – even me. But what about colored paper?
I’m not saying that your files have to be a giant rainbow – that’s distracting and who can remember all of your codes anyhow? But using colored paper to set important information apart can be smart.
In my office, I use yellow pad paper for my client notes. It works out great because when I’m searching through the files for notes, I immediately look for the yellow sheets.
Another colleague used to make copies of all original court documents on pink paper. …read more

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Tip #19: Buy a Shredder
Long before we moved into our building, our neighbors found an interesting pile of boxes outside on the curb, put out for the trash. They were patients’ medical records from the prior tenant, a doctor who had moved on.
My guess is that the doctor did what most businesses did: he hoarded things that he could not bear to throw out until it completely overwhelmed him.
Why? Because, as a society, Americans in particular, hate to throw things out. And business owners are the worst. I think we hold onto things …read more

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I’m not old. But as the mother of three who runs her own business, sometimes I feel old. At at the end of a long day, my eyes are not functioning quite as well as they did first thing in the morning when I was bright eyed and bushy-tailed. It’s even worse in the winter when forced air heat dries out my contacts.
So that’s why I was thrilled to find this product about two years ago. They’re called Magni-Files and you can buy them from one of my favorite office supply stores, Ultimate Office.
Basically, they’re well …read more

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Tip #18: Hire an Accountant.
Nothing causes more folks to want to pull their hair out than doing their own finances. Whether it’s doing the monthly bookkeeping or finalizing payroll, managing your finances takes up a huge chunk of your time.
Yes, you could do it yourself. But remember that time value of money thing? How long do you think it will take you to do your own taxes? What is your hourly rate? When you consider that a CPA will usually be able to prepare your return for between $200 and $500 (depending on the …read more

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Tip #17: Stop multi-tasking
Yep, you read that correctly. I think that you should stop multi-tasking. It’s a time waster, not a time saver.
You think you’re saving time when you’re on the phone, sending email and filing all at once but you’re not. You’re doing three things half way instead of one thing with your full attention.
I know because I’m guilty of this – actually, lawyers are notoriously bad at this. Hubby and I will be sitting down, lap top in hand, purportedly discussing work matters, all while answering email and trying to schedule our calendars. …read more

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Tip #16: Keep a Journal
I’m not talking about a diary a la Bridget Jones. You don’t have to keep track of your weight or how many cigarettes you’ve had. I’m talking about an ideas journal.
Writing down notes whenever the inspiration hits you is important. Writing those notes on hundreds of little pieces of paper that you’ll never find is frustrating and wasteful. Admit it – how many times have you torn your desk apart looking for that great idea that you wrote down?
Keep a journal – a spiral notebook will do – with you, near …read more

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