After a while, you just can’t physically store that paper any longer, can you? That’s when it’s time to consider scanning as much as you can. Since scanned documents are much more acceptable than they once were – including tax receipts and some legal documents – and storage devices are continually dropping in price, it’s a good time to start scanning.

But would you trust someone else to scan your documents? A company called Pixily proposes to do just that. For a fee, you drop a pre-paid envelope in the mail with the items you want scanned. They scan, post to your account, and then mail you back the paper.

Interesting. Would you do that if your office generated more paperwork than you could process by yourself? Or do you have just enough paper that buying a small scanner of your own is a better investment? (A review of one of those small scanners is coming soon.)

What do you think of a service like that?

(via: unclutterer)

Image: morgueFile

Post from: My Organized Biz

I don’t know about you, but sometimes I feel like I’m drowning in receipts. And I want a solution.

Right now, I have an accordion file where I drop my receipts by category. It helps when it is time for taxes. But I also have a pile of receipts waiting to go into said file.

All I really want to do is get rid of all of the paper clutter. Additionally, some of those thermal paper receipts just don’t last. If I don’t immediately write down the amount and what it was for, it’ll fade so bad that it will be useless. So what can I do?

I’m thinking of getting one of those little receipt scanners. Something small, but fast so I don’t spend hours scanning and managing my files. I saw some at Fry’s yesterday and I was sorely tempted. But before I can do that, I need to do a little research. Is it cost-effective? Will it really help me reduce paper? Will the state and federal government accept scanned copies in lieu of the actual paper?

Maybe I can hire my college-age daughter to scan and catalog the receipts for me. (Delegating is another organizational skill that we’ll address later.) But I don’t know if it’s the way to go. Yet.

Do any of you scan your receipts? Does it help you? Is it worth it – for your needs?

Image: Dan4th on Flickr

Post from: My Organized Biz

Jennifer Hofmann is the queen of organization here at My Organized Biz, so the pressure was on when she asked me to help with one of her own organization issues.

Jennifer sent me a photo of her receipts piling up and said -

I can’t get myself motivated to enter my receipts. The picture features my system of sorting them, but it’s not working because they’re now piling up on my desk.

Seriously, it’s embarrassing, but I haven’t put them in my Excel spreadsheet since the end of January. And every time I try to use the desk, I have to shove them around or try to ignore them but it’s not working.

In a perfect world, I’d enter them regularly, like weekly. But I am so busy it’s just not happening. I’d love some ideas about how to make it more fun, less painful, or just have them disappear into thin air.

My Suggestions:

My first suggestion is to minimize the number of receipts you need to deal with by -

• Direct debits – For regular expenses e.g. phone, internet, mail etc. see if you can get your bank to direct debit these from your account so the payment goes through the bank.
• Credit card payments – For non regular purchases, use a credit card, but make sure you pay it off before the interest starts to kick in so it is cost neutral. Both direct debits and credit card payments will show on your bank statement so you have the details without the receipts.

For the remaining receipts –

Instead of letting them pile up, put them straight into an accordion file or 3-ring binder with pockets, divided into suppliers and/or date order. They will be in order ready for you to enter them on your Excel spreadsheet when you are ready.

They will also be off your desk, and out of sight, which may help both space wise and psychologically.

If you really hate this task, and thinking about it is affecting productivity, would you consider outsourcing to a virtual assistant? If you can’t justify the expense, maybe there is a task or service you could barter as a swap.

Have fun, Jennifer. I look forward to the “After” photo when you have tamed those pesky receipts.

Yvonne Russell is a freelance writer and professional blogger at Grow Your Writing Business, Small Biz Mentor and Home Biz Notes.

Post from: My Organized Biz