Administrative Filing System: Review and Organize Each Year!

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Sabrina

At the beginning of each year, as a business owner, you need to review the previous years files. Whether the papers are on your desk or in a filing cabinet, you should review them at least once a year not only for tax purpose but also for saving space. The steps below will help you decide on what to do with each piece of paper. To make this process a success, make a decision and take action! If you don’t make a decision and take action on each piece of paper, it will stay in limbo which means it will be left out.

Decide if you need to keep the paper.

If no, decide whether to recycle or shred it. Then, finish the action by recycling the paper or shredding it!

If yes, what does the paper need to be used for?

1. Storage? i.e. bills or important correspondences, new mortgage paperwork, general receipts, etc…

2. Tax Return? Pay stubs (to check in when the W-2 comes in.), Donation slips, Donation receipts, Mortgage interest, deduction receipts, etc..

3. Place each piece of paper in a pile either marked “storage” or “tax return”, “shred” or “recycle”.

Answer this question for each pile you requested: Where are you going to store this pile?

1. in a filing box – label the manila file folder , since it is to be stored away for the long-term, you do not need to use a pretty label. A handwritten label is fine.

2. in a filing cabinet - file in a folder with a label on it. Be specific enough to help you remember what the file was for, but general enough that you don’t have one piece of paper in the file.

3. in a folder – label the folder. Be specific but general enough to hold more than one paper in the folder.

By following these instructions each year, you will be establishing a system that you can easily refer to when you need to find a piece of paper in later years.

Hope your paper management process goes smoothly.

Till next time.

4 Steps To Complaint-Free Workplaces (& homes) from Guest Post De Yarrison from Essential Shift LLC

Posted on March 6, 2013 by Sabrina

This guest post is courtesy of De Yarrison of Essential Shift LLC. De is a coach, facilitator of positive change and of life-on-purpose. Follow her on Facebook or check her website for details on her services.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Please help stop the complaining! It goes on all around us, all the time. Even the most compassionate of us don’t enjoy listening to complaints. There is a better way!

Here are 4 steps to keep in mind:

When you hear a complaint, remember, behind the irritation is an unmet need or expectation. Often the person voicing the complaint does not own the conversational tools to express their need in a healthy or clear way.
Reserve judgment & annoyance, which often lead us to respond with defensiveness or a counter-complaint.
Instead, listen for the request that is beneath the complaint. Look for the need that this person has and is unable to clearly express.
Respond to the person with a question to clarify his/her need and by helping him/her express the need clearly to you (and to himself as well).

Example:

Joe: “I’m always the last to know.”

Response: Would you appreciate more communication from me?

Joe: “Well, sometimes I feel left out of the loop.”

Response: What can I do to help you feel more in the loop?

Try it! Begin with yourself using the steps below.

Pay attention to when you are complaining, even if it’s silently to yourself.
What’s your complaint; it may help to write it down.
Look underneath the complaint to find the need you have that is not being met. Think through ways to express your need using clear, non-judgmental language.
Start your sentence with “I have a request; I would like…” Do NOT start your sentence with “You need to…”
Then, make your request to the other(s) involved.

Below are examples of statements that express one’s needs clearly & in non-judgemental language. The brackets at the end of each statement include the complaints that have been replaced.

I am not clear on what’s been decided. I would appreciate it if we could walk through it more slowly. [He/she is so unclear about…; He/she is always so ambiguous and noncommittal]
It is important to me that we start our meetings at the agreed upon time. Would you be willing to work with me on that? [Our meetings never start on time]
I need another day to get this finished. [There’s no way I can possibly finish this by then]
I would like for us to have this conversation with less emotion/intensity. Will you help me find a way to do that? [He/she is so emotional; All we ever do is argue; I’m tired of arguing about this]
I’m not sure I see it the same way. Would you help me understand your thinking around this? [nobody listens to my ideas; that’s a stupid way to do it; that will never work]

_______________________________________________________________________________________________________________

Three Steps to Declutter Your Desk

Posted on February 27, 2013 by Sabrina

Desks – whether it is for your office or your home, your desk is a place you see on a daily basis and will be used for various tasks from paying bills to hobbies.

Whatever you use your desk for; here are some general ways to keep your desk tidy and useable.

1. Decide what stations you need for your desk and make a list of them. Do you need a place to do bills? How about a place to sew? Do you need a place to make home movies? How about a place to do your scrapbooking? Write them down. This will give you a starting point.

2. Make stations for the main tasks you do. If you are doing your bills, have a filing cabinet and checks, stamps, envelopes in close proximity of each other. If you are doing your hobby, make sure you can see or access in arms reach all your items.

3. Remember, piles are OK, that is only if you have decided on why you need the pile. If you need to make piles, make sure they is a specific reason for the pile. If you know that the pile will most likely be used often, get and label a bin. Some examples are Personal ‘To Do’, ‘To Do’ for Business, To Pay, To Mail, and To Read.

Tip: When going through your old piles turn the entire pile upside down and start from the oldest piece of paper. Usually, if you didn’t look for it and it is at the bottom of the pile, you can get rid of it.

Tip: If you are like me and do not have a large desk space, use cabinets with doors that you can organize so you can place all your gathered hobby’s items together and be able to pull them out when you want to work on them. I like cabinets that are floor to ceiling and have doors so I do not see the clutter. Label the shelves with the hobby”s name.

Tip: If you have a lot of small items in bins, remember to label the bins so you remember where the items need to go after you use them. I hope these steps help you get your desk under control.

If you liked this post, please sign up for our Sabrina’s Organizing Enlightened E-news to the right of this post!

Priority Sticky Notes Helped a Multimillion Dollar Consulting Business!

Posted on February 20, 2013 by Sabrina

Many years ago I managed a multimillion dollar consulting firm. I was responsible for managing the two part-time secretaries and 1 shipping/project manager, as well as 10+ sales force and trainers. It was quite a job, making sure we got everything when we needed it.

Our biggest issue was making sure the project we received had a ‘due by’ date. So to rectify this, we created a priority scale and had the printing company print it on sticky notes (here is a sample below). This helped all the administrative staff know what project needed to completed first thus helping with time management.

The scale had 4 letters:
A (Needed to be done by the end of the day)
B (Needed the project completed within two days)
C (needed the project completed by the end of the week)
D (no rush, whenever there is time.).

Each sales/trainers/owner giving the administrative staff a project had to place this completed sticky note on top of the project or the project wouldn’t get done, no excuses.

After starting this priority sticky note system, our productivity went up and our stress level went down. It was wonderful! Try this with your business!

How to make your workspace more organized

Posted on February 14, 2013 by Sabrina

Image this, while working at your desk, you stand up and go to file a paper across the room then go to the desk and type up a report and print the document. Then, get up again and go to the printer to grab the paperwork. This cycle happens several times throughout the day. So, to make my life and yours easier, I set up six tips to make your space more efficient and organized.

Everything should be at arm’s reach. From supplies that you use often to files that are used regularly, everything shouldn’t be farther than arms length.
Hide away your keyboard and mouse. This will make more room on top of your desk for other papers.
If you have many projects cause an issue, have an in bin for each project. Label the bins with removal labels so you can reuse the bin after the project was completed.
Use the filing cabinet closes to you for frequently used files.
Lateral filing cabinets are larger and can store more files than two standard pull out filing cabinet. They take less space in your office also.
Post reference information near you for easy access.

Making your desk more efficient will cut how long it takes you to do general tasks and streamline your daily process. Try it and let me know how it goes. If you need help with your office organizing, check out my organizing office services.

Need help with your Administrative Paperwork and Task!

Posted on February 8, 2013 by Sabrina

Need help with your office procedure, click here! Need help organizing your office, click here!

Your Coffee/Tea Station in your Break Room!

Posted on January 31, 2013 by Sabrina

What do you need for your coffee and tea station? Did you ever think of it or has your coffee and tea station in your Break Room become a mishmash of items that people have brought in over time.

Here are a list of items to have in your break-room to show your employees that you appreciate them:

Water cooler and/or sink
Paper towels, paper plates and napkins and Forks/knives and spoons
Different sugars (Ask everyone what they use first.)
Creamers (ask everyone if they use creamers and what brands they like.)
Coffee maker: Here is an example: Cuisinart DCC-3000 Coffee-on-Demand 12-Cup Programmable Coffeemaker
Tea maker: Here is an example: Breville BTM800XL One-Touch Tea Maker
Refrigerator to store dairy creamers – small or regular size
Cabinet to store supplies, like tea, coffee, sugars.
Snacks like cookies, croissants, donuts, etc… for employees to share.

Whatever you decide to put in your coffee and tea station, make it look attractive and organized to use. For example, instead of putting out sugar in the original container, put it in a decorate sugar bowl with a lid. Cuisinox 12 Oz Footed Sugar Bowl with Spoon in Satin – SUG186 So cute!

Cheers!

What to Keep: What to Keep in your Small Business Files from Sabrina’s Organizing site

Posted on January 26, 2013 by Sabrina

Here is a post I wrote and wanted to share on this site. Enjoy!

——-

Many owners view filing systems as a necessary evil since it doesn’t make any money for their business. So they reluctantly file papers in a group that may or may not be appropriate for that particular piece of paper. Then get frustrated when they can’t find what they are looking for. The reality is all businesses need to keep retrievable files and need to have systems in place to manage paperwork.

Here are some suggestions on file systems areas that should be established as soon as the business starts:

Individual client file folders and client in boxes area – Client file folders would be used for contracts and in boxes would be used for the client current projects that need to be done.

Business General file area – General files would be used for rent, utilities, etc..

Payroll paperwork and payroll tax area – Federal, state and local payroll tax payments and paperwork should be together.

Reference paperwork area – Resources and research you may use for articles, advertisements, etc… can be stored in this area.

Accounts Payable area – Sort this area by due date of invoices. Then, have an area for paid bills.

Accounts Receivable area – Sort your Accounts Receivable area in ABC order and have a folder for ‘to be paid’, and one for ‘paid invoices’.

Inventory area – Make an organized area for products to be sold. Keep a folder for your suppliers receipts and your receipts after sale of products and State sales tax paperwork and submitted payments.

After setting up these systems, it will actually save you time and money because you can quickly find what you are looking for. I hope this helps in your business system. If you need help with your small business, we can help you!

The Pros for Using Templates and Checklists for Your Small Business

Posted on January 20, 2013 by Sabrina

A lot of self-employed small business owners are single sole-proprietors that work by themselves or with clients and don’t feel the need to make a checklist or template of what they on a regular basis since they are the only one doing the tasks. Though, if they get sick or busy, the tasks are not completed. Then, they feel overwhelmed and anxious, frustrated that they can’t finish their projects.

I am here to convince you that making templates and checklists are critical to your small business.

Pros:

When you have a template or checklist of all the steps for are a particular task, you can stop in the middle of the process and allow yourself to do other more time sensitive tasks.

You can give the checklist to a subcontractor to do the tasks that need to be done.

It takes a little more time to set up the checklist or template initially. I know what you are thinking, this is a Con, isn’t it? But, after the setup process is over, it will save you time every time you need to do the task.

Tips on making templates or checklists:

1. Start by making the list of each step while doing a project. Write down each step, use color to indicate areas of templates that need to be changed.

2. Then, the next time you are doing the project, use the checklist or template. Add and modify what you wrote in the initial steps. It may take a few revisions before all the tasks are added.

I hope I convinced you to take the time and make templates and checklists for your tasks. It will help you in the long run. If you don’t believe me, try it and see.

If you need help breaking down the process and creating checklists or templates, I have over 15 years experience doing both and would be able to help you breakdown the process into easy to understand steps. Click here for more information.