What Do You Need to Get from Point A to Point B

In an interview, I was asked, "Once you get the client to understand that they are losing money through lack of productivity, how do you address their problems?"  You may be thinking the same thing and wonder how it applies to your business.  You may think each scenario would be different, because each industry or business has their proprietary ways of doing things. 

Ironically there’s a common thread to the majority, if not all, work environments. There are generic checklists for general areas to address, no matter what industry or size. Very quickly, we are able to identify where there are missing links. We then refine the checklists to address their specifics.

I heard a story that I incorporate into my basic “getting organized” training. If you have a car sitting in the garage and it has three flat tires, a dead battery, and expired plates, chances are you’re not going to be using it. People often have stuff in their office, or even staff in their office, that are just taking space and not being fully utilized. They throw ideas at the employee to get them motivated, hoping they’ll be more productive, and they are surprised when it doesn't help. If you compare that scenario to the stranded car in the garage, it would be the equivalent of getting a new battery. Sure, the car will start and sound alive. The question is, how far will it go when the tires are still flat? And what other problems would you encounter with those expired plates? The key is to continually look at the big picture while working with a client. Understanding and assessing where they want to go and what resources they have to get there gives you a foundation to start. This holds true for all businesses and industries.

This blogpost is an excerpt from my book, Concrete Jungle, Survival Secrets for the Real World.  Co-authored by Bob Proctor.

Order it today at http://www.annemcgurty.com/annes-tip-booklet.htm

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How to Work with a Business Coach

In a recent interview, I was asked about how I deal with clients who are super busy, bouncing all over the place multi-tasking. The question was asked, "How do you decide what will work for them? How do you help people get focused?"

My recommendation as a consultant of personal productivity is that I have to really quiet down the client and start to look at what is going on in their world. What is their vision? It’s up to them to set up the systems by defining how they want to communicate and have people reach them.

We all need to take responsibility for how the world communicates to us, and we need to have the appropriate tools so that we can synchronize incoming information. In that way, we can be as efficient and productive as possible, maximizing all the benefits of these technologies and not getting ourselves overwhelmed in the process. Every day, there is something new that comes out—something bright and shiny. People don’t want to get behind the eight ball, so they grab it. I just have to tell them to pull in the reigns—tame them down a little bit and tame their technology. 

I also use the example in my webinars of using a day planner or a calendar. Some people still carry around a planner because they like to see their calendar, and it often makes sense. If however they also use an electronic calendar and don’t synchronize the two systems, there will be havoc. And it can get even worse if they have a family calendar on the refrigerator. You see where this is going. The solution is to get one system and stick to it. Consolidate all the information in one place—one container, so to speak. You’ll always know where to go when you need to make an appointment.

It’s the same with all the new devices out there. You need to stop and look at what you need to stay on track and make sure that all your technology talks to each other and can be accessible in one container. Document management systems are all about keeping your information in one place and being able to collaborate with others so they can find it. Too many businesses spend too much time resending emails, redoing documents, or using outdated documents because they don’t have synchronized systems. I took a huge turn in my business this past year educating people on how to organize their electronic information. I’ve known about it for years, having been an information system major in college. I’m just happy that my clients are finally open to hearing about how to use them.  

This interview is an except from my book, Concrete Jungle, Survival Secrets for the Real World.  Co-authored by Bob Proctor.  Available at www.simplifyyourlifeblog.com.  

How to Organize Bill Paying

I doubt that paying bills is in on your list of favorite things to do, but they are a fact of life and business which cannot be avoided.  Also, there are real financial consequences for paying them late, or not being able to prove you paid them at all, even if you did.  In addition, the emotional stress takes away from your peace of mind and ability to work efficiently.

The goal here is to organize systems in your home office and to get this job done as efficiently as possible.  Along with helping you avoid any financial penalties, these systems will help you not worry about what hasn't gotten done, or if bills are falling through the cracks, so you can get on to more fun things in your life.

Step 1: Sort and Gather Unpaid Bills Into One Area Of Your Home or Office

Set up a mail center for all incoming mail, sorting through it as it comes in the door of your home or office.

The reason you need to keep all your bills in one location is to make sure you deal with each one of them during your weekly paperwork session (see step 2 below), and don't forget some of them are in your purse, tote bag, or car, while others are possibly at home on the kitchen table buried under a big stack of other papers.

When you receive any bills in the mail, I suggest quickly opening the envelope and writing the due date for the bill on the front of the envelope it came in, so you make sure you know by what date it needs to be paid, and don't miss the deadline.  Ideally, if you wish to corral your bills in a specific bill organizer,  a tickler file which helps you differentiate the due dates for the bills, you can use a product such as the one shown here:

Step 2: Set A Weekly Schedule To Focus On Your Finances And Pay Bills

The next step is to set up a weekly paperwork session for you to pay bills, focus on financial issues and deal with any other paperwork in another scheduled session.  I recommend this time be scheduled during business hours as we often will need to make calls to verify information or make arrangements.

Why should you do this weekly? There are several reasons that a weekly schedule for bill paying works best, even if you don't get paid every week, but instead twice a month, monthly, every two weeks, or like me, since I work for myself, irregularly.

These reasons include:

• No matter when you get paid, bills come due at various times during the month, and typically the due dates have nothing to do with your schedule for getting paiid.
• Dealing with paperwork weekly, as opposed to daily, when you receive it, lets you batch these types of tasks together, which saves you time
• You can easily miss deadlines if you let paperwork sit too long, but typically if you are habitual about it, letting something sit for a maximum of a week won't be a problem. 
• It is easier to make something you do every week a habit, than it is to try to spread out the schedule into longer periods between activities.
• During this weekly session when I pay and organize bills, to also organize receipts, make phone calls related to bills or other home related issues, work on the budget, balance my checkbook, review my online financial accounts, deal with medical or other insurance claims, make the meal plan and grocery list for the week, update my calendar, send out notes and greeting cards, and other such activities that need to get done regularly.

Sort Bills for Payment Based On Due Date and Pay Ones Due Soon During Weekly Paperwork Session

During this weekly paperwork session the goal is to pay all bills that are coming due soon.

To help you keep track of due dates, I've create a printable monthly bill organizer worksheet that you can use. The page contains instructions for how to use it to help you organize bills payments. In addition, there are many workbooks available to do something similar (such as the one shown below to the right).

Many bills are paid on a monthly schedule, and their due dates tend to fall at the same time each month. If you pay attention to your bills' due dates for a couple of months you will quickly be able to figure out which bills must be paid in which weeks to pay things in a timely fashion, and can organize bills payment accordingly.

Look at the due dates for all bills, subtract seven days for mailing and processing them (that is an extra cushion for you, to be on the safe side), and you know the last day you can mail them out to be paid (make sure mail runs that day, otherwise subtract another day).

Then, if you pay bills regularly on a specific day of the week each week, as I'm suggesting you do, you can calculate which of those bills needs to be paid during this week's paperwork session to meet your deadlines, and can't wait to be paid during next week's session.

As you pay each bill make a note on your part of the bill you keep in your records the date you paid it, and the check number (or confirmation number if you paid online), so that if you have a dispute later about payment you can tell, quite easily, what you did and reference the right paperwork quickly.

Special Instructions for Online Bill Pay

I realize that not all people pay all their bills by check anymore, nor do they receive all their bills in the mail, but instead many people have chosen to go paperless. However, whether you pay bills online or once you receive them in the mail you've got to keep track of them and this weekly paperwork and financial planning session is when you do that.

There are some advantages to online bill paying, such as having payments automatically withdrawn from your checking account each month for certain regular bills, and not having to receive additional paper into your home that you have to then file.

However, handling things online instead of in an old-fashioned way does not mean you can abdicate responsibility for planning, following up, checking on things, and making sure everything works as it should.

In fact, since there sometimes is no paper to remind you of what's happening, you've sometimes got to be more organized and methodical about how you deal with these types of payments.

For example, during your weekly paperwork session you should do the following related to online payments, to make sure you organize bills payments adequately:

• † Make sure you have adequate money in your account for all payments that will be drawn from your account soon
• †Track and confirm all automated payments that have been mad†e,       Make sure you haven't missed any notices or issues that may have been sent to you via email regarding online bill pay.

Should You Invest In Bill Payment Software?

There is no requirement that you get special computer programs or online software systems to help you with paying your bills each month. You can easily do all this paperwork by hand, or with a simple computer spreadsheet if you wish.

However, some people find it helpful to use a program to help them keep track of their spending, and budgeting.  One of the most widely used software programs available is Quicken/QuickBooks which can help you set financial goals and track them, along with planning and budgeting and bill paying. A

Most banks have online bill payment these days, so check with your bank too.  These systems are pretty simple and have calendars to see at a glance your upcoming and historical payments.  Anotehr advantage is they can interact with your personal financial software system, even if it's as simple as a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet. 

Step 3: Organize Bills After Payment For Quick Access In Your Filing System If Needed

The next step is to set up a simple filing system to keep track of your paid bill receipts and stubs in case you need to reference them again.  (I recommend using The Paper Tiger software to manage your file inventory.)

Most bills don't need to be kept long term, but can be tossed after a certain period of time.  (Note, the Paper Tiger has a reminder system to help you manage when to purge files.)

However, it is in your best interest to keep them around for approximately a year or two in case there is a dispute about payment or something like that, so you've got your records in place.  If you actually do have a dispute about a bill it is best to keep such disputed records, even once you think everything has been resolved, for at least two to three years (or longer, depending on your state's statute of limitations for contract disputes or open accounts).

The easiest system, in my opinion, is to save all your paid bills by the month in which you pay them. That means, at the beginning of the year, you should create 12 folders, labeled January through December, and as you pay each bill just drop the paid bill into the correct month's folder. In the alternative, get an expandable folder with twelve compartments (such as the one to the left, and have one of these designated for each year.) If you need to reference a specific bill just go to that month's folder and retrieve it.  You can mirror this filing system on your computer should you decide you want to scan the bills and file on your computer electronically.

This system makes it really easy to file the paid bills at the end of your paperwork session too. You can just drop basically everything into the file folder and move on to the next task. It is so simple and easy there is no reason to put it off until later.

In my opinion, there is no need to have separate folders for each type of bill. The only exception to this would be bills that you need to keep as records for tax purposes. Those bills should be kept in a separate set of tax document files.

Step 4: Create an Annual Routine For Getting Rid Of Old Paid Bills To Clean Out Your Filing System

The final step, is to create an annual routine of purging your filing system of old papers. Again, my recommendation here is to use The Paper Tiger filing system as you can run reports to organize the process.  It will be such a breeze!

In the meantime, at the end of each year, when you make your 12 file folders for the upcoming year for your paid bills, take a minute to throw away all the bills in accordance with what your accountant recommends for you and your business.

This annual toss out will keep you from accumulating too much paper in your filing system that isn't needed. Make sure to shred any documents which contain personal identifying information or account numbers that could be used for identity theft.   If it’s too much to shred with your personal shredder, stores like Office Max or Office Depot will shred for under $1.00 a pound. 

Tell Me How Your Bill Paying System s Working for You!

You can tell me your progress or give me more ideas for how you've organized your bills in the comments. You've worked hard to get organized, so now here's your chance to share your success and pass it on.

Here is a link to my Amazon.com online store of recommended products.  http://astore.amazon.com/thepapertigerproductivitystore-20

For The Paper Tiger filing system, http://app.thepapertiger.com/signup/affiliate/ehodk

Time Management for Getting Organized

Schedule time to focus specifically on getting organized.

People often vow to get organized when they can find the time.  However, they never seem to find the time as long as they are disorganized.  That is why it is important to schedule some time to focus specifically on the process of getting organized.  Although this sounds like a simple step, it is very important.  Remember it is easier to be organized than disorganized.

Make a commitment to devote a specific block of time to this project.  It will take much less time than you think and the significant increase in productivity will allow you to make up the time spent on implementing the Path to Productivity(TM)  very quickly.  During this block of time, try to minimize:

• Distractions
• Interruptions
• Working on other projects unrelated to getting organized

If possible, we suggest you block out two to four hours to learn and implement the Path to Productivity.  This will be enough time to finish or make significant progress.  After working on the Path to Productivity process for a couple of hours, most people feel more focused, in control and physically and mentally energized.

Realistically, some of you may feel you can’t spare two to four hours.  If so, go through this workbook at your own pace.  Each page represents one significant step toward getting organized.  Some steps take less than five minutes, most take less than 30 minutes.  Once you get started, try to complete at least one page a day until you get the job done.

Increase the odds of successfully implementing the Path to Productivity(TM)  by putting your commitment in writing (write in down on your daytime or calendar) and sticking with your schedule!

“I have scheduled time on my calendar to focus specially on getting organized.”

Or “I have a daily appointment scheduled in my electronic calendar to focus specifically on getting organized.”

*Path to Productivity is a workshop delivered by Strategize & Organize. To schedule your in house corporate training, visit http://www.strategizeandorganize.com.

How to Declutter a Collection

Collections can look like works of art, or they can look like piles of junk -- it's all in the presentation and preservation.  Having a display is great if you have the room and your items can remain safe while on display.

Here are a few tips to organize your collection.

1.  Make a decision that you love what you want to keep.
2.  Ask yourself how you want to see the collection, ie., accessible, locked up, with back lighting.
3.  Decide on a space to display the collection.  You may want to invest in a separate unit, a specialty cabinet or shelving.
4.  Accessorize or as they do in retail, merchandise it.  Use props, display stands,to , and by confining it to that area, you'l prevent overload.

With these few steps to organizing your collection, you will be on your way to organizing your office and decluttering your space.

Sources:
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How To Reduce Clutter

Build a habit. Not everyone is a born organizer. Continually ask three questions for your small business: “Does it work?’’ “Do I like it?” “Does it work for others?” Organizing can be learned. Do not worry about mistakes. 

I just got back from my Pilates class and it was funny that during the class my instructor referred to habits.  I paid attention as this was the topic of my post for the day.  She talked about how we needed to make a conscious effort for the change and then eventually it becomes automatic.  If you think about exercising, how many times do you exercise perfectly?  If you're like me, rarely!  And that doesn't prevent you from doing it again. It's the same with organization.

My challenge to you as your business coach is to practice organizing daily -- decluttering a little at a time.  Eventually the habit of making decisions on how to handle will be automatic.

To learn more, visit http://www.strategizeandorganize.com.

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TIp of the Day: How To Declutter Your Home Office

Think vertically. Look at shelving systems to maximize the space on your walls. Making your office space-efficient can add visual appeal as well. Find your individual style from numerous shelving systems available.

Learn more at http://www.strategizeandorganize.com/