Answer the phone!
At Simplified Living Solutions, we get so many phone calls that it’s hard to keep up with them. If I had to pick the hardest park of owning and running this business, it would be trying to return all of the phone calls when time allows.
Keeping accurate mileage record
As a small business owner there are so many things to keep track of for your taxes. One of which is keeping track of your mileage. It can be a struggle to make sure it is tracked and documented all year. Either you forget to mark it down, you forget to bring a piece of paper to mark it on, or you lose the paper you marked it on.
Where is that gift card?
Do you have gift cards, coupons and frequent buyer cards scatterred throughout your home or office? Do you miss great deals and savings by never having them with you when you need them? If so, here’s the solution; the Card Cubby.
Business Cards
What do I do with all of these business cards? That’s a question we hear alot. Here’s my suggestions:
- Purge cards from people you don’t even remember.
- Purge duplicates.
- Spend a moment on each card, and decide if you really want, or need, that person’s contact information. Purge those that you don’t need.
- The top 3 suggestions will probably weed out at least 1/2 of the business cards you have, if not more. Enter the remainder into a contact management database such as Outlook or ACT!.
- Toss the cards after they have been entered into the database.
Tired of searching for electronic files?
When you stop to think about how much time you waste (lose) searching for things, and the amount of stress it causes, you will understand the value of taking the time to get things organized. You will gain back the time you spent getting organized in no time, and you will save lots more time and stress on top of that!
SLS Chosen as Top Ten Websites by SocialYell.com
Simplified Living Solutions was chosen by SocialYell.com as one of the top ten websites for reducing and recycling your junk mail. I am a really big advocate for people making the time to take the steps necessary to reduce their junk mail. I have handed out the information with the necessary steps so many times that I finally posted it on our website. It will only take you 20-30 minutes, and $1 – $2 to complete the steps. And it will save you so much time and stress in the future dealing with junk mail. I promise! What are you waiting for?
Want to be more productive at work?
If you want to be more productive at work, it takes planning. What do I mean by planning to be more productive? That means taking the time in advance to:
- Determine every task, paper or project that comes across your desk.
- Establishing a home for each task, paper or project. This is where it will live until you have the time to work on it.
- Do like things with like things. Make all of your phone calls at once, pay all of your bills at once, etc.
- Create a schedule for when the work will be done. Normally tackling the biggest project, or the thing you dread the most, first thing in the morning when your energy level is at it’s highest, is best.
- Combine tasks. Is there a way to get two things completed at the same time?
- Clear your desk at the end of each day so that when you return in the morning you will start your day feeling inspired and motivated, rather than overwhelmed.
Paper, paper, everywhere!
I recently worked with a client that had 7-8 boxes of paperwork sort of scattered throughout her home. Dealing with the paperwork seemed daunting and overwhelming and so she just put it off. In reality though she was dealing with it every day by not dealing with it. She felt stressed, depressed, overwhelmed and out of control all of the time.
Simplify your office, increase your productivity
If you are a small business owner like myself, you probably started your business because you love the work you do. Unfortunately, running a small business requires much more than just doing the thing you love. You have financial records to keep, marketing to create, clerical work, customer service and much more that steals your time.
Free Freedom Filer Offer Ends Today
Are you tired of drowning in paper piles? Always searching for things but can’t find them? It’s not your fault if you feel frustrated by filing! Most filing systems take too much time to file, hide the papers you often need, and require unnecessary maintenance. It’s no wonder many of us resort to paper piles! The problem is not with you; it’s the filing system you’re using.
It's got to be easy to work
It’s imperative that whatever organizing system or container you set up is super easy to use or it won’t last. Here are some common mistakes people make:
- Leave room to grow. You buy a container that is the exact size for what you have and you don’t leave room for growth. Within no time, your stuff will be laying next to the container instead of in it.
- Too many files. Don’t make your filing system overly complicated or the filing just won’t get done. Rather than having a folder for each of your 3 cars, just have one folder for all of them together.
- Too far to go. If you recycle and the only place you have designated to hold your recycling is in the garage, chances are that the recycling will pile up in your living space because it’s too far to go to the garage each time you finish a can of soda. Invest in a second kitchen sized trash can to hold the recycling until you can take it all to the garage.
- Landing place. Designate a landing space just inside the door you use for your purse, keys, book bags and mail to land. If you choose another place that is more complicated, chances are things will just get set down wherever. This will add to your stress when you’re in a rush and can’t find these things.
Increase productivity in the office
Taking the time up-front to get organized in the office results in a large number of benefits including increased productivity, reduced stress and more time to work on what really matters.
Managing Your Email Inbox - Part III
Some say empty your inbox every day, some say set a limit to how many emails you’re comfortable with. My limit is one screen (i.e. no scrolling). My inbox is limited to things I need to do right away or that are so important I want them staring me in the face until they’re done.
Managing Your Email Inbox - Part II
Yesterday’s post talked about the power of deleting emails. Today’s post is about doing your emails. There’s a great rule which basically says if you can do this in 2 minutes or less, do it now. That’s because it will take less time to finish the action in 2 minutes than it will take to park it somewhere else for later and go back to it. So just get it over with—it’s a great feeling!
Managing Your Email Inbox - Part I
In today’s world, we are bombarded with information at a much higher rate than in years past. One of the biggest culprits is email. If you’re honest with yourself, probably 80% of what lands in your inbox can be deleted immediately or after a quick scan. Imagine if you get 50 to 100 emails a day, 40 to 80 of those can be deleted in a few minutes! How would it feel to have only 10 to 20 emails you need to really think about each day?
Send Out Cards
Do you often miss sending a card on a special occasion? Do you buy cards with the intention of sending them, but then don’t? If this sounds like you, you’ll love Send Out Cards.
De-clutter your small business
As a small business owner myself, I understand the challenges other small business owners are faced with. More often than not paperwork, filing and electronic information are seen as the enemy. It is a struggle to keep everything in order, pay everything on time and keep up with the constant stream of incoming information.
About the Author
Sue Anderson, CPO®, Owner of Simplified Living Solutions, is an expert in the professional organizing field, specializing in paper management and messy, unproductive desks, offices, home offices and filing systems.
Recent Posts
- Do you dread meal time planning?
- I passed the exam!
- Do you need an extra set of hand?
- Got Clutter?
- Impromptu Jewelry Box
