My Organized Biz

(myorganizedbiz.com) – Yesterday we talked about setting up a mail center so you can process your mail. If you have everything at hand, you’ll be able to get through your mail quicker. As noted, you’ll need the following:

A letter opener
A trash can
A pen
Stamps
Envelopes
Checkbook
A place to put pending bills or outgoing mail

Ideally, you should go through your mail every day, immediately tossing any ads, flyers, and other junkmail that you don’t need. So many of us are busy, though, and daily may not work. Shoot for at least a minimum of twice a week. But if your business generates a lot …read more

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(myorganizedbiz.com) – When you sit down at your desk, do you have everything you need in close proximity? Are you constantly getting up to look for the last place you put an item? If you interrupt yourself multiple times to do something as simple as process your mail, you need a new system.
To make things easier on yourself, it’s best if you always process your mail in the same place each time. That way you can keep appropriate supplies on hand and important pieces won’t get lost.
I used to grab my mail on the way home and drop it on …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – It’s so easy to give up and let the chaos take over. Most of us struggle with trying to find a balance between being perfect and just doing enough to get by. There has to be a better way. There has to be a happy medium somewhere, right?
I fight the battle every day, just like you do. Some days I win, and some days I don’t. But if there’s one thing I am, it’s stubborn. I refuse to let this stuff get the best of me and my business.
We’re all trying to make our way keep our businesses …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – My honeymoon was a life-changing event for my business.
Before I left, my biz complained that I was going for 6 whole days. It worried that my email was on autorespond and my phone was off with an “I’ll call you back in 6 days” message on it. When I walked out the door with my bags, it was seriously fretting.
My business moped around the whole time I was gone, waiting for me to get back so I could again pour into it my undivided attention and 110% of my time, energy, sweat, and tears.
But when I …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – Do you ever find yourself muttering inane things while you search for a file on your computer? “Now… where did I… put that… blasted thing…?” Your brows are furrowed and if you could just… remember, maybe you could actually get some work done.
So often, when we’re working on something, we “save as” without giving a moment’s thought to how we’ll need to retreive it someday. We just give it any old name that makes sense – adding it to an old folder or creating new ones willy-nilly.
I have a client who’s goal is to set up his …read more

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(myorganizedbiz.com) – Jennifer is on her honeymoon and thrilled to be featuring guest bloggers in her absence. They’re answering a single question: What’s your most important organizing “rule” that helps you enjoy your work more? You’re encouraged to respond as they’ll be awaiting your comments.
Post written by Maggie McCauley, ACC, LICSW
Ah, the dreaded filing task! UGH! We tend to make this the very last item on our “to do” list, don’t we? That’s mainly because we haven’t created proper homes for it. Our battle with paper can end with the creation of a good system. It doesn’t matter which paper …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – Are you among the many people who have great ideas that get started and never completed? Before you get harsh with yourself about what a slacker you are, just know that this is a super normal thing. Go easy on yourself.
I bring up this topic because long term projects are a part of every business. We all have marketing ideas, product ideas, and a gazillion other things on the back burner that we’d like to do someday. The fact that they get started at all is remarkable considering how busy life is!
A client recently asked me how she …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – Have you ever had to dig to find a piece of paper? (Who hasn’t?)
Generally speaking, the stuff on your desk is made up of projects in progress, things “to do” that aren’t urgent, and miscellaneous stuff you don’t have a home for. Beyond that, there are file cabinets and bookshelves and closets that contain storage. There’s a lot of stuff around!
One day it dawned on me that all of this paper – every last piece of it – was eventually going to end up in the trash can.
It could be tomorrow or it could be after your …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – I felt figety and lost. Hungry, yes, but not exactly sure what to do with myself.
I was given an hour lunch break.
Little did I know that when I took a one-day-a-week job at my local SBDC, they would adhere to the federally mandated break policy. Duh! As a self-employed business owner, this hour for lunch concept was foreign and almost anxiety-producing.
You mean, sit here and eat – for a whole hour?
But I warmed up my lunch in the microwave and sat down with a copy of the local paper. And read. And chuckled at the funnies. And …read more

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(www.myorganizedbiz.com) – Last week, I encouraged readers (you!) to share about what kinds of visual tricks you use in your organizing. There was a fabulous response and everyone got some great ideas, too!
Check out the full post and awesome comments!
This thread also featured a contest – anyone who replied could be chosen (at random) to receive a $10 gift certificate to my favorite bookstore, Powell’s.
I’m happy to announce that Kristen King of

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