Do you have a calendar, in addition to your “to do” list, that lets you keep on track with your work each day, week, and month?  This notes orders, deadlines, and those you’ve filled.
In our multi-generational household, we have a large, regular monthly calendar on the wall.  There we all write down appointments, church and work schedules, meetings and recreational days.  We coordinate our schedules accordingly.
For my writing work (I currently write several blogs and a newspaper column with deadlines), I keep a small notebook for each blog and my column.  There I write down posts, pre-posts and planned posts.  Then …read more

I shall be running a series here on organization in business and asking other busy businessmen and women how they manage to juggle all facets of their life and keep their businesses running effectively, productively and profitably. 
 I’ve sent e-mails to some already, asking them to give me 5 Tips on Organization they find effective in their business.
If there are any readers out there, who have a business…small, home or even working for a business…write and let me know you have some tips.  Or you might post those tips in the comments section below.

If you think my obsession with notebooks is excessive, I’m actually not alone. Designer Michael Bierut talks about how he has used notebooks over the past 26 years. Like him, I carried my notebook to every meeting, noted every call and scribbled ideas and to do lists.
Unlike him, I haven’t filled 85 notebooks in 26 years. But it’s fascinating to see some of the scans of his books and hear about his process. I, too, just fill up one notebook and move to the next. I don’t separate projects, but I do use flags at times so I can flip …read more

So many of us suffer from the clutter affliction. We have too much paper, too many gadgets, and basically just too much stuff crammed into our offices. What are we to do?
Some people live with the clutter, never quite able to find what they need. Others upgrade their space, thinking that just a little more room will help. And many of us buy more containers to better organize all that stuff.
It’s all too much! That’s precisely the point of Walsh’s book. We have too much stuff. We don’t need all of it. We’re too attached to things.
While the book is …read more

Efficiency is a must in any small business office. Limited space, time and resources demand that you operate at full capacity. And when you let things slide, it can be a nightmare to get back in order. So how do you keep on top of everything you need to do? Get in the zone by creating specific work areas in your office.
Think about the tasks you need to do regularly. What could benefit from having a designated zone? Start by making a list of all the tasks you need to do in your office. Divide them up into groups. There …read more

It’s still early enough in the year to be thinking of ways you can be organized for the next 11-12 months. And one great way to do that is getting your computer files in order. As we get busy, it’s easy to just save a file, a receipt, an invoice in whatever folder pops up when you hit save. But is it really convenient when you have to dig for that file later?
Take some time to think about how you use your computer. What items do you save on it? How often do you need to refer back to it? …read more

One quick way to group files into easily manageable bites is to use color coding. By grouping categories of files – such as financial, marketing, administration – you’ll better see what you need at a glance.
Visually grouping your files will help when you’re filing. You can quickly see where something needs to go. An invoice? Oh, that goes in green (it’s okay to have more than one green folder, of course). You zero in on the section you need and then you can look at labels and find the correct file.
And those same groupings will help when you need to …read more

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When I was a teenager, I had a sign above my desk that said, “A clean desk is the sign of a sick mind.” It was perfect for my clutter justification. But I was constantly frustrated and unable to find anything without going through every single pile on the desk.
Eventually I learned to keep my desk neater. I started using my file drawer. I bought little organizers for my desktop and drawers. And I regularly cleaned it.
Those bad habits are slowly creeping back in. I know what I need to do. The problem is taking the …read more

Are you a visual person? Do you like to see your next steps mapped out? Consider a white board to help you manage your projects. You can use it in a variety of ways.
You can list “hot” items that need your immediate attention. There’s something about a white board that draws attention to itself. And you can use that to keep your important tasks in front of you.
You can also write a list of projects that you’re working on. If you have multiple projects, you can keep a running list of them and when they are due.
Or, try listing the …read more

Let’s say you have a fabulous idea for a business. It could be a service, or a product, and you just know it’s going to do well. Maybe you’re already in demand, with friends and family encouraging you to strike out on your own. It could be something as simple as selling your artwork, or handmade products on etsy. Or maybe you’re a great assistant, manager, or consultant.
But you don’t have a lot of office experience when it comes to managing your own stuff. Did someone else always do it for you? Was it just not necessary when you weren’t …read more