Organizing Paperwork

Archive for the ‘office organizing’ Category

It’s almost impossible to be creative and think clearly with a cluttered desktop. The more physical clutter piles up on your desktop space, the more mental clutter you’ll face when you sit down to work. To avoid this problem, you’ll need a good desk organization system to ensure that everything has a proper place. You’ll want to start by keeping things that you work on every day on your desk. Projects that you don’t work on as often should go inside your desk, into a file cabinet, or onto a shelf.

For example, if you’re currently working on a project, it’s fine to keep it on your desktop for easy access. But if you’ve got another project in the works, say for next week and especially if it’s for next month, put it away. Set up a reminder file for each pending project and store it in your desk or file cabinet.

Here are a few basics that you’ll need in order to maximize the efficiency of your desk organization:

Inbox and outbox – If you need to conserve space on your desk top, consider a wall mounted inbox and outbox. Or, if you prefer to keep projects at your fingertips, use a two-tier paper organizer on top of your desk. All incoming mail should go in the top tray (or the wall mounted box you designate as your inbox), and use the lower tray for items like mail, filing, and so on. Make sure you don’t use these as a catch-all for junk mail, outdated documents, and other kinds of paper clutter.

In addition to mail and filing, you can also use your outbox for reminder notes to carry with you when you head out to run errands. Make sure to use brightly colored sticky notes to alert yourself to any paperwork that requires action so it doesn’t get lost in your outbox. Make it a habit to check your outbox whenever you head out the door, and do the filing at least once or twice a week.

Keep reading and reference materials within easy reach in a small hanging file box or bin next to or under your desk. That way, you’ll have frequently used reference items close by as you work.

Lighting – Make sure to use a desk lamp for proper lighting. A small table lamp is fine if space permits, or use a clip on lamp if you don’t have much room.

Office supplies, phone, and computer – Make sure to keep office supplies within easy reach. Keep your phone and computer configured for easy access. Items that you use frequently should be kept on or in your desk. Pens, pencils, a stapler, a staple remover, paper fasteners, note pads, sticky notes, and so on, should be placed logically in an easy-to-reach place. Any item that isn’t used daily should be kept somewhere else.

If your desk space is limited, maximize your work area by installing inexpensive shelves on the wall near your desk to store items for easy access.

Seating – Use a comfortable chair. If you don’t have a good chair, purchasing one is a wise investment. Avoid back and rear-end pain from a bad chair and bad posture.

To summarize, here are the basics you’ll need for optimal desk organization:

* Lamp
* Pens and pencils
* Notepads
* Inbox and outbox
* Sticky Notes
* Telephone
* Computer

Now that you know the basics of good, get to work and get your space working for you!

By: Samantha Buck

Technorati Tags: desk organization system, organizational design, organizational development, organizational software

Follow the lead of a well-organized home office. Using the checklist below, incorporate many of the organizing tips found on the list. You will have both a professional and efficient home office.

ORGANIZE YOUR BOOKKEEPING
• Prepare and send invoices to clients
• Enter monthly transactions into bookkeeping software
• Reconcile bank, credit card, and other account statements
• Send reminders for paying bills on their due dates
• Write and prepare checks to be signed to pay bills

ORGANIZE YOUR DESKTOP PUBLISHING
• Design and print brochures and business cards
• Create flyers, price lists, and other marketing documents
• Lay out, printing, and mailing regular client newsletters
• Prepare professional-looking certificates for seminar participants
• Print labels using company logos or clip art

ORGANIZE YOUR DATABASE MANAGEMENT
• Enter business card data into a database
• Send an introductory letter to new prospect leads
• Send scheduled marketing pieces to clients and prospects
• Track marketing efforts and summarize the results in a report
• Send regular follow-ups, reminders, and communications to clients
• Call people for missing contact information
• Send fax and email broadcasts

ORGANIZE YOUR TELEPHONE AND FAX SERVICES
• Receive telephone calls while a client is out of town
• Forward important messages that require immediate attention
• Retrieve voice messages and responding to routine requests
• Receive and handle faxes while a client is out of town

ORGANIZE YOUR TRANSCRIPTION SERVICES
• Type letters and memos from tape or handwritten notes
• Type legal transcripts from cassette tape
• Type medical reports from tape or handwritten notes

ORGANIZE YOUR WORD PROCESSING
• Type handwritten notes from a meeting or seminar
• Type letters, printing on stationery, addressing, and mailing
• Proofread, edit, and check spelling / grammar
• Lay out larger documents

ORGANIZE YOUR MARKETING SERVICES
• Send out the appropriate sales brochures for inquiries
• Create and mail a customer feedback questionnaire
• Track the responses to this questionnaire
• Summarize the responses and suggestions in a report

ORGANIZE YOUR INTERNET SERVICES
• Maintain a newsletter subscription database
• Post announcements and newsletter issues to the list
• Perform an internet search for an item or piece of information
• Edit or upload new information to a website

ORGANIZE YOUR MAIL AND EMAIL SERVICES
• Retrieve email and mail, sort, and get rid of junk
• Respond to routine email requests
• Forward items of importance to the client for attention
• Track and forward urgent issues while client is out of town
• Prepare packages and mail out products as orders arrive

ORGANIZE YOUR RESEARCH
• Research potential locations for an upcoming seminar
• Find which locations have the appropriate dates available
• Find which can accommodate the size and type of event
• Research the services available (decorating, food, entertainment)
• Obtain written quotes and specifications from each location
• Monitor periodicals and clip articles of interest
• Visit the library to copy specific articles

ORGANIZE YOUR PERSONNEL SERVICES
• Send reminders for annual performance reviews
• Prepare or update resumes and introduction letters
• Review resumes and summarize each in a short biography
• Sort resumes for a job according to pre-arranged criteria

ORGANIZE YOUR PRESENTATIONS
• Prepare PowerPoint slides from sketches of diagrams and charts
• Send questionnaires to seminar participants before the talk
• Track completed questionnaires and call non-responders
• Summarize the questionnaire results in a report

ORGANIZE YOUR SECRETARIAL SERVICES
• Confirm upcoming appointments
• Schedule or reschedule appointments
• Get directions for a meeting or appointment
• Store back-up computer tapes for safekeeping
• Track birthdays, anniversaries, and other important dates
• Send out the appropriate cards or gifts for special events
• Manage lists of necessary office supplies and ordering refills
• Coordinate air travel, car rental, and hotel reservations

By: Nishanth Reddy

Technorati Tags: garage organize, home organizing, organized home office, professional organizer

The Oxford Canadian Dictionary defines clutter as “a crowded and untidy collection of things” or “an untidy state.” When we don’t have designated places for all our belongings, clutter is often the result. Even if you have established organizational systems, you will face problems with clutter unless you have a plan to find homes for every single article you bring into your office. Otherwise, it’s too easy to set things on top of your desk, filing cabinet, or another surface “for now.” All too often, “for now” ends up becoming “forever” or at least until things reach the point that you can no longer tolerate the clutter. If you’re already at this point, the following tips may help you get back on track.

The first thing you must do is set aside time to deal with the clutter. Many small business owners feel they are too busy to do this, but in reality, the time you’ll save once everything is organized will more than make up for it. You might choose to block off a day or two just to concentrate on this project, if your schedule allows it. If not, set aside an hour a day or a couple of hours a week and keep at it until there’s no clutter left in your office. Treat this appointment with yourself the same way you would treat an appointment with one of your clients – don’t cancel it unless you have a dire emergency, and don’t deviate from the task at hand by taking phone calls or getting distracted by other work.

The best place to begin decluttering your office is with your desk. There is no reason to keep anything in your work area than the things that you are currently working on. Your current projects should be kept where you can access them easily, but rather than keeping them in piles on your desk, they should be
organized into clearly labeled file folders. It’s very likely that those piles of paper on your desk include information which is out of date and can be discarded, as well as documents that you need to keep, but are not currently using, which can be filed in your filing cabinet.

Once your work area is clutter free, you need to go through your files and discard anything you no longer need, shredding all documents which contain confidential information, of course. Large organizations usually have a retention schedule that dictates how long certain types of information must be kept. If
you’re not sure, it may be wise to consult a lawyer or accountant to determine how long certain documents must be retained by law in your area. Items which are needed for legal or other reasons,
but not referred to on a regular basis, should be put in an archive area, such as a lower file drawer, storage room, or offsite storage, depending on the volume of paper you have and the space you have available.

While going through your files, be sure to pull out any documents which don’t seem to belong in their existing file folder so you can find a more suitable home for them.

As I mentioned at the beginning of this article, getting rid of the clutter is only half the battle. Maintenance is equally important, and here are three tips to help keep clutter from coming back.

1. Make a practice of handling each document only once, if possible. When you open your mail or email, deal with it immediately. If it’s about an upcoming meeting or other event, copy the information into your planner, then get rid of it. If it’s a quick question, answer it immediately, then discard it. If you may need the information again in the future and it’s not readily available elsewhere, file it, don’t just put it back in
your inbox. There will be some items that cannot be dealt with immediately. These should be noted on your “to do” list and the document placed in the appropriate folder on your desk.

2. Implement a “clean desk” policy where desks must be cleared of all paperwork at the end of each work day.

3. Set a filing schedule to prevent a backlog of unfiled documents. You often need to refer to something you’ve worked on recently, and you don’t want to have to sift through piles of paperwork to find it. How often you need to do filing will depend on the volume of paper you keep, but the important thing is to
keep it up to date.

A tidy office is only one of the benefits of getting rid of clutter. When your work environment is clutter-free, you’ll be more productive, because there will be fewer things to distract you from the task at hand. You’ll be less likely to forget about things you’re supposed to do, or to miss important events,
because the information won’t be buried under a pile of other documents. As a result, you’ll be more confident, appear more competent, and free up time for the types of activities that will help you to become successful!

Author: Janet Barclay

Technorati Tags: clutter control, clutter free, get rid of clutter, home clutter